


Sigh of the Llama, or No One Wins a War on the Internet (except maybe Riario)

by zephfair



Category: Da Vinci's Demons
Genre: Alternate Universe - Rock Band, Band Fic, Drama, Humor, Leo self-medicates, M/M, Modern AU, Nico is his biggest fanboy, S3 melancholy Leo, Zo is still loyal Zo, please do NOT act like Leo online, sassy Riario, there is romance eventually, this is not based on real life fandom, who is a traveling minstrel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-13
Updated: 2016-05-16
Packaged: 2018-06-01 23:42:08
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 29,166
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6541549
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/zephfair/pseuds/zephfair
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Leo's band is over; he's drunk, washed-up and wants out of the music business altogether, so starting a social media war with another musical artist is the most fun he's had in months. Nobody warned him that Riario plays everything to win.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. CHAPTER ONE, wherein we meet our protagonist, parts of our other protagonist, a drunken Twitter fight begins and Zo has had enough already

**Author's Note:**

> This is more melancholy than I had originally planned, but then S3 happened and yeah, Leo got a little more depressed.
> 
> Some details in this story were heavily influenced by the Apple fan event for Da Vinci's Demons held in October in London. If you haven't seen it, it's definitely worth a watch! I have taken liberties with some comments made there by Mr. Ritson, and his remarks so helpfully provided the inspiration for the title. The social media portions of this fic are not based in any way in reality and do not bear any resemblance to those I follow. This is not based on our fandom but on things I've seen in my many long years lurking in various dark, dank fandoms around the Internet.
> 
> Much love and huge thanks to blake-ritson-love on Tumblr for answering my questions and providing background help!

Leo slid his arm out from under the man with a move practiced over many late nights and early mornings. He was practically an artist of escaping from the beds of women and men before they woke up and expected anything from him—another round of sex, breakfast, or, even worse, a second date.

This man never woke up as Leo dressed quickly and tiptoed to the hotel room door, holding his breath until it clicked shut behind him. Then he pulled on his boots and went down the hall to the elevator, wondering if he could wake up anyone in the bar to serve him before he left. Instead, he spotted Dragonetti, the usual head of security for the band, in the lobby and veered toward him.

“Going home?” Dragonetti suggested rather than asked. 

“I suppose so,” Leo said wistfully gazing in the direction of all the alcohol.

“It's not my place to say,” Dragonetti said in the tone of one who knows very well it is, “but I think you had enough tonight.”

Leo made a rude noise. “I stopped drinking hours ago and I worked off that alcohol already. It's only...”

“It's 4:30 a.m. and I think it's time you went home and got some sleep.”

“Sleep is for the weak and untalented,” Leo insisted, but Dragonetti took his arm and escorted him down another hallway to a side door leading to the parking garage. Leo wasn't even sure what hotel they were in. Management always rented rooms for the band members who wanted them after big award shows or appearances. It made things easier on all of them and less to clean up, particularly in the way of hangers-on who were picked up and left discarded and disappointed in the bedrooms.

Leo gazed out the window at pre-dawn Los Angeles as Dragonetti drove, and his fingers itched for a pen and notebook. Everything looked pristine and peaceful, totally unlike reality, the lights starting to twinkle on as the city awoke, and he longed to capture the image in words, potential lyrics for another song, but he pushed the feeling aside. It wasn't what he did anymore.

He dozed for a long while until the car left the city and climbed the narrow canyon road that led to the house he was renting. Another pang hit him when he realized he didn't even know the proper address, and he'd already been staying there for more than two months. 

He waved Dragonetti off and stumbled his own way inside, unerringly finding the liquor that someone had thoughtfully restocked in the kitchen, and then made it to the bedroom. Part of him wanted to shower, to wash off the reek of the evening and the nameless man, but the rest of him was too lazy, and he fell on the bed on his back, only bothering to kick off his boots.

He took a long drink from the bottle—wouldn't want to bother the never-seen maid with more dirty dishes, would he—and took a deep breath. It had been a long day and a long night at the … why couldn't he remember the name of the event? The band had been invited to play, but since they were on “hiatus” as the label called it internally and “in-between records” as the label told the public and “totally fucking over” as Zo put it, they had not performed. 

Still, the media ate up any appearance, so Leo had worked it for the red carpet, smiled and posed with supermodels, took selfies with adoring fans and horseplayed with Zo and Nico for the cameras. Then he had left as soon as he'd picked up the short and muscular blond, but he simply could not remember what the event had been.

Sort of how he could barely remember what it felt like to make music and perform because he loved it rather than because he was fulfilling a contract.

He put down the bottle and searched his pockets for his phone, intending to Google himself to find out for sure where he'd been, but the first thing he pulled out was an iPod. He frowned and turned it over then recognized it as Nico's. He'd been messing around with Zo, as usual, and had thrown it to Leo for safekeeping after Zo tried to douse him with a bottle of champagne. Several beautiful women had giggled and intervened, but somehow Leo had forgotten to return it.

He thumbed it on and went to Nico's music which almost filled the device. Leo scrolled through the artists in the library and smiled when he saw how eclectic Nico's tastes were—one or two songs of everything from Britney Spears to the Rolling Stones to Adele and everything in between.

Leo suddenly wanted to update his Twitter. Years before, when he'd only had followers who knew him from live club performances, back before the band, he'd started Hump Day Happies, posting a couple links every Wednesday to a song that really grabbed his attention or something that he fell in love with immediately, songs that crawled inside his brain and lived there until he shared them with others who would equally appreciate them. It had been fun, and his followers would recommend songs back to him, and he'd found quite a few things he liked that way. It had been fun, back then, to immerse himself in the music without any expectations and believe that he would be doing what he loved the rest of his life.

He wondered if he'd feel that positive surge of energy from his 2 million-plus followers now, or if they would just fight and endlessly pick apart ever single word he posted and search whatever song he chose for hidden meanings. Heh, might be fun anyway. Nico certainly had enough music to choose from. 

Leo went to Nico's playlists and looked at the most played. Maybe he'd give the kid a shout-out and dedicate the new version of Hump Day Happies to one of his favorites...only Leo didn't recognize about twenty of the most played songs, and the remaining were by their own band. The others were all by the same artist “Riario,” which Leo thought was a stupid-ass name for a band, and it wasn't much better for a person. There wasn't even a tiny picture of a person or group, just a black and white album cover. He absently touched it to play the most popular song then went back to check out the artists where he raised an impressed eyebrow. Nico had 40+ songs by this Riario.

As the music began, even through the tinny speaker of the iPod, Leo was entranced. He closed his eyes and just listened for the first time in forever. The song was a flurry of strings, some instruments he couldn't even identify by the sound, but the effect was melodic and a little bit haunting. Then the singer began and Leo was lost.

Later, he tried to describe and categorize the voice like he did everything else, but this time, even his imagination for creative metaphor failed him. The voice was magic. It somehow suited the music perfectly—it was a little rough, a little smooth, and the passion came through clearly. When Leo got over the initial shock, he listened to the words and it got even better. Dude was telling a story in the song, and the way it flowed made it clear he was the author of the lyrics telling a tale in song.

Leo caught himself nodding his head and humming along by the end of the song and skipped to another one. Then another. And one more. They were all full of rich instrumentals, lots of strings and piano, and the singer was always the man with the unusual voice. The actual sound quality wasn't the best, Leo realized after the fifth or sixth, but it had the scratchy quality of old vinyl rather than the stuck-in-a-well sound of poor recording equipment. It added something to the performance, took him back in time, and forced his attention to the beauty of the vocal performance without electronic distraction.

Leo found his phone finally but didn't bother Googling himself—he went right to YouTube to find this Riario and see his videos. But, he was sorely disappointed when he discovered Riario's channel and started playing the homemade videos. 

Oh, it was definitely the right voice, the right sound, but the videos weren't overly produced or high quality. It looked like he just set up his iPhone and played in front of it without caring that each one only showed him from the neck down. In each video, he played an instrument—guitar, banjo, was that a fucking ukulele?—and sang to the accompaniment without the other layers of instruments and production that his album songs featured. Even when he played the piano, the camera didn't capture his head or face.

All Leo could see were the thin, perfect hands with long, nimble fingers working the strings, and a broad-shouldered, slim male figure in plain T-shirts with the occasional flannel overshirt, and he was disappointed. He clicked play on the latest song this Riario had uploaded, and it was a stripped-down version of the first song Leo had played. He found himself shutting his eyes again and wallowing in the richness of the sound and the voice. And imagining what the face looked like that went to that body in a black T-shirt with a white swirl.

When he found himself idly pressing his palm to his interested groin, Leo's eyes shot open and he stopped the song. He did not need that, not again. He could imagine what the singer looked like, sure, he obviously had a face made for radio if he wasn't willing to share himself on YouTube. He probably had scared off fans completely before someone recommended cutting his face out of his videos. Maybe he had to wear a paper bag over his head to perform or a motorcycle helmet or a giant mascot head to hide his identity.

Leo reached around the bed until he found the bottle and drank. Then drank some more.

It wouldn't do to fall in love with some guy's voice and music and hands, even if they were all really fucking amazing voice, music and hands. Talents and looks would fade away, and then... that didn't bear thinking. So Leo did what Leo did best when confronted by feelings—he deflected.

He figured out his Twitter password, took another long drink, and wrote _Hey all, Return of Happy Hump Day, if it is Wed, if not, fuck off. Here's something to ponder and hump to if you so desire_ and linked the latest YouTube video of the Riario song he'd heard first.

After he Tweeted it, he paused then rapidly thumbed, _Don't know the artist but seems to be a very angry hipster before they were hipsters. No face though so what you hiding there?_ followed by, _Just sayin gif you can't showit, what's the point in even bothering. Somethings not right but gold star for effort._

And then he turned off the phone, took another drink and fell asleep with Nico's iPod still playing beside him. He slept better than he had in years.

****

Leo woke up to angry cursing and shouting, but having been in a band that toured together for years, he wasn't shocked by it; it just made him think he was back in a bus somewhere and he wondered groggily where they were performing that night. He rolled over and rubbed his face, scrabbling on the bedspread until he found his phone. But when he tried to check the time, it was Nico's iPod, and it was shortly accompanied by a very angry Nico barging into the bedroom.

“You are the biggest asshole in the history of assholes,” Nico screamed.

Zo was right behind him, trying to hold Nico back and shouting at him to calm the fuck down. But Nico was in a rage like Leo had never seen, and he actually scrambled back against the headboard when Nico got free and bolted for the bed. But instead of hitting him, Nico swooped down on the iPod and hugged it to his chest.

“God, are you that upset about your fucking iPod? I'm sorry,” Leo said tiredly.

“You fucking asshat. You don't even know what you did,” Nico fumed.

Leo shrugged and scratched himself. “Apparently I stole your music and you're mad?”

“You ruin everything you touch. It's not even Wednesday, you twat,” Nico yelled while Leo yawned. “This is it. I'm done. Don't talk to me until you're ready to be a fucking grown-up for once. In fact, just don't talk to me again.”

And Nico stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind himself so hard it bounced open again.

Leo was pretty impressed but still confused so he looked up at Zo for an explanation. Zo crossed his arms over his chest and shook his head.

“You've really got us into the middle of another shitstorm, thanks so much,” Zo said.

Leo got more confused by the second but he suddenly desperately, urgently needed a bathroom. “Hold that thought,” he told Zo as he stumbled to the bathroom as quickly as his hungover legs would take him.

When he was done, Zo was sitting on the bed looking at his phone. Leo went for the bottle at his side, but Zo grabbed it first and held it out of his grasp. “You have had enough,” he said.

“I haven't even started yet today,” Leo argued, but Zo was firm.

“I would beg to differ, based on your Tweets from very early this morning. Or maybe you can claim you were hacked?”

“I was hacked?” Leo was even more confused so he snatched the phone from Zo and checked on his Tweets. There were only three new ones, and oh yeah, one was a link to YouTube. He touched it and that music started, and he remembered, remembered how the music had seduced him with its awesomeness and how he'd only wanted to recommend it to his followers so they could enjoy it too. “What did I do wrong?”

“So you did post that?”

“Yeah, what's the matter?”

Zo sighed, a very put-upon sigh that he had used many times before. Leo was old friends with it, nearly as old of friends with the sigh as he was with Zo.

“Nico has never been this pissed,” Zo finally said. “He really likes that guy, you know, and you just shit all over him. Now all of social media are calling us bullies, his stans have us trending with the hashtag LoserLeo, and you, they are slaying in effigy on every hipster site on the Internet. The gifs and memes are strong already.”

“All because I recced the guy's song? What's the matter with him? Did he get his feelings hurt because he's not a fan of mine?” Leo was honestly lost.

“That guy hasn't even responded,” Zo said. “And everyone is up in arms because of the other tweets, you stupid son of a bitch.”

Leo re-read them and laughed. 

“Seriously, Leo?”

“Well, you have to admit, it is pretty funny.” Leo laughed again until Zo stood up in disgust.

“You managed to insult a total stranger who has a really strong, militant fanbase, who Nico idolizes, and now you're laughing about it?”

“It's ridiculous. Forget about it. It'll blow over.” Leo threw the phone on the bed and stood up to clap Zo on the shoulder. “Let's go get some breakfast and everything will look better.”

“Leo, it's 5 in the afternoon.”

“So? There are lots of restaurants that still serve breakfast.”

“I don't think you're taking this seriously.”

“No, I'm not,” Leo agreed. “It's just a stupid Internet thing. It doesn't matter to anyone.”

“Nico would beg to differ. The guy is kind of a hero to him.”

“Nico needs to realize that there is no such thing as a hero,” Leo said sharply, and Zo stared at him in surprise. Leo sighed. “Let's just get something to eat and then maybe you can explain to me exactly why I should care about all of this.”

When they were settled into a booth with coffee, Leo borrowed Zo's phone to check Twitter again. First he found Riario's verified Twitter, but it was empty except for a post months before of the highly stylized black and white art that must be an album cover. Nothing Tweeted to Leo or anyone else.

Then Leo checked his own notifications, and the vitriol made him laugh again so Zo grabbed for the phone. Zo was right: people were really pissed at him, and some of their suggestions of what he should do to himself were pretty inventive.

When he won the brief wrestle over Zo's phone, he scrolled through his notifications until he found a fan twitter dedicated to Riario. It made him raise both eyebrows. There was apparently a fan effort underway not to slam Leo but to get his #LoserLeo hashtag replaced with #RespectRiario and allow the fans to post why they loved Riario and what he meant to them.

Then Leo hit the jackpot. Fans were posting selfies of themselves with their idol in a show of support and unity, and he finally got to see this Riario. The first thing that struck Leo were his eyes—big and dark and somber. He always managed to stare directly into the camera, and Leo's stomach and then lower clenched at the intensity of the look. But he never smiled. Leo flipped through one fan pic after another, but Riario was always showing a serious demeanor, or nothing more than the hint of a smile on his lips, his very nicely formed lips.

It was not how Leo had pictured him, not at all, and Leo ran a thumb over one particularly clear fan selfie and made it as big as possible to enjoy the view. Then another fan posted a Vine of Riario speaking a phrase from one of his songs—in his raspy, breathless voice that made Leo's cock a little hard— and just as the video ended, Riario smiled as he turned his face away, and Leo was gone. He watched the Vine loop over and over until Zo leaned across the table suspiciously and asked, “Are you watching porn?”

“Almost,” Leo said.

Zo got a look at the Vine and swore. “Don't do this, Leo. Just let it go.”

“Let what go?” he asked absentmindedly as he went to that fan's Twitter to see if they had posted any more Vines with Riario.

“Him. This. It. You've gotten us and yourself into enough trouble. If you're not going to apologize, then just leave it alone and let it blow over.”

“Apologize,” Leo repeated, logging back into Twitter. “That's exactly what I'm going to do.”

First, he made sure he followed Riario's official, unused account and then the popular fan account.

Then he Tweeted at the official account, _Everyone is telling I should apologize so I'll say I'm sorry. Sorry for telling the truth, or would you rather I apologize in person_ He followed that with: _I can do that if you're brave to show your face. You're good, just be less serious? And thank your fans, bad press better than none_  


He thought the smiley emoji with one open eye and the tongue sticking out was the perfect accompaniment to that.

Zo shook his head and swore as he watched the notifications blow up again in a fury.

After breakfast for dinner, Leo wanted to go to a bar; Zo suggested a movie. They compromised by getting drunk at Leo's house while a movie played unnoticed on the huge-screen TV.

“This isn't how it was supposed to be,” Zo lamented.

“Nothing in life works out like we plan,” Leo said and would have sounded sage if he hadn't been hanging off the leather sofa upside down.

Zo jumped when his phone trilled with a text alert, “That's Nico.”

_That dumb fuckwad only made things worse. Shut him up or I'll do it permanently_

Leo read over his shoulder and whistled. “The little guy is really pissed.”

“I told you so,” Zo said. “But I wonder...” He wrote back, _“What dumb fuckwad do now?”_

Almost immediately, Nico texted back, _His lame ass apology made our fans mad now they're coming for the Riario fans it's a fucking flame war_

Leo started to laugh until Zo elbowed him in the gut. Nico's next text was brief _gtg Riario just posted_

At Leo's drunken command, Zo found his tablet and went to Twitter, but Riario hadn't Tweeted anything. They wasted a few long minutes trying to figure out what Nico could have meant.

“Just ask him,” Leo urged.

Zo shook his head. “I'm not risking my balls by asking Nico anything.”

The mystery was solved when Nico eventually sent _Now THAT is a classy man fuck Leo._

Leo tried to puzzle out if Nico wanted the classy man to fuck him, Leo, or what, when Zo thought of YouTube. “Ah, this Riario uploads every Friday, from the looks of it. A song, a poem, something.”

“This is Friday?”

Zo ignored him. “And his last post was seven minutes ago. Wow, it already has 1,200 hits.”

“Play it,” Leo crawled closer, practically onto Zo's lap to see the iPad.

It was a lilting, upbeat song on the ukulele of all things—Leo couldn't believe that anyone still played one of those—and he was so concentrated on the fingering of the strings and the play of the muscles in the forearms cradling the instrument that he didn't pay attention to the lyrics. Until Zo groaned, and he realized Riario rhymed “he's a dick” with “sad lyric” and worked in “just ignore the douchebag” to match the meter of “make him want you back”, and he made Zo start it over again while he laughed until he had tears in his eyes.

There was no mention of Leo by name, of course, but the song was obviously not about a boy who cheated on a girl as it ostensibly sounded. It was certainly not about how the girl got revenge by burning down everything he loved until she faced him alone with a samurai sword. 

The cheerful strum of the ukulele ended, and Leo saw Riario's face fully in motion for the first time as he leaned down into the webcam and Leo liked it. He liked it lot. Riario smiled, all quirked lips and big eyes and stylishly messy black hair, and reminded his followers to take the high road, to definitely not engage others no matter how misguided, clueless or horrible they might be.

As Zo moaned, Leo grabbed the iPad to Tweet, _Nice tiny guitar and hair, do you think you are a Japanese cartoon? Or do you believe a Flock of Seagulls will make a comeback?_

Leo's Twitter blew up with another wave of hate and he laughed. The guy was good. Really good. This could be the most fun he'd ever had in war and he looked forward to the challenge.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Does every fandom need a band AU? Probably not, but here is my sad offering.


	2. CHAPTER TWO, wherein we have hangovers, boring backstory, and an indulgent but brilliant fanboy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just so we're clear, please don't be expecting a new, exciting plot here. I think I've intentionally borrowed the same plot that every single Band or Music AU shares, but hopefully I've added some new twists? Or made the characters interesting? Or just tried to make you laugh? If I've failed in all these attempts, please let me know!

The hammering at the front door echoed through the pounding in Leo's head, and he moaned pitifully. An accompanying moan sounded from the opposite end of the room. Leo could only get one eye open to see Zo curled in the fetal position on a loveseat and holding his head.

“How much did we drink?” Zo whispered loudly, but Leo shushed him anyway.

“Don't talk, it hurts.” The knocking at the door started up again, and the two men whimpered.

“Just fucking open it and get it over with,” Zo yelled in a whisper.

“I can't get up!” Leo hissed back.

“Well I'm not getting it, it's your fucking house.” Zo rolled over to put his back to Leo who swore at him and instantly regretted it. He finally found his feet and stood, and things were iffy for a moment, but he made it to the door and opened it.

“What the fuck do you want?” he barked, but Lorenzo, Giuliano and Nico were already pushing past him to enter. Leo squinted out at the bright sunlight, but no one else tried to stampede him, so he shut the door as quietly as possible.

“We are here to inform you—” Lorenzo began until Nico interrupted, “to shut the fuck up.”

“Nico, we discussed this—”

“No, I don't care. It's long past time someone told him to grow up and get over himself, and if I have to be the one to do it—“

Giuliano slapped a hand over Nico's mouth and frog-marched him into the kitchen. Leo breathed a sigh of relief at the reduction in volume and rubbed his head. Zo was trying to sit up and rub his head at the same time.

“What is this then? Some kind of intervention?” Leo asked.

“Something like that,” Lorenzo admitted, helping himself to a seat on the couch where he could keep an eye on Leo and Zo as well as the kitchen. “Leonardo, we all are aware of the problems you have had, adjusting to life after the band. And indeed, we understand many of the concerns that you have addressed, but—”

“You understand?” Leo said flatly. “You, plural, as in the rest of the so-called friends I was planning on making music with until they fucking betrayed me or you, as in you, singular, the biggest dick of all that couldn't keep it in his pants long enough—”

“You're bringing this up again? How many times do I have to tell you—” Lorenzo was on his feet and Leo met him halfway, but Zo wedged himself in between.

“Cool it, both of you. Opposite corners. Now,” Zo commanded, and for a wonder, they obeyed, although Leo's submission was mostly just to get off his feet before his headache made him vomit. “We are all aware of the confused and convoluted history of our band, but we're not going to get anywhere rehashing it all.”

“Can we just rehash the important parts, please,” Leo said, glaring at Lorenzo. “Like how he was fucking our new singer while he was still married to our keyboardist, which made her go off and have an affair with his uncle—who was one of the heads of the label—who then dropped us because we were too messy.”

“You were fucking Lucrezia too,” Lorenzo boomed.

“And so I was,” Leo admitted, “and I learned my lesson. Repeatedly.”

Lorenzo had the grace to look a little ashamed. The entire sordid mess had started long before when Leo and Zo were signed to the Medici label—a cocky guitarist/vocalist and his brash bass player who thought they could change the music world. Lorenzo had been a young executive with the family business who enjoyed performing on the side, so he approached Leo and Zo to form the band. Lorenzo was the drummer, Clarice was a brilliant keyboardist, and Giuliano filled in on rhythm guitar. The original female vocalist Vanessa recorded only one album with them before she got pregnant and retired.

So, the label had brought in Lucrezia, a beautiful young woman known mostly for her marriage to a pretty B-list actor who was heavily rumored to need a wife to cover for him. Lucrezia had a lovely voice, and it had mixed perfectly with Leo's vocals and won them a lot of fans for their passionate duets when fans claimed they could feel the heat from the two of them.

Things took a turn when Lucrezia started sleeping with Lorenzo and then Leo, all under Clarice's nose. Lorenzo had inherited more responsibility for the business and took a leave of absence from the band on its second worldwide tour. They had found and hired Nico who was a drumming prodigy. Although the music only got better, the relationships in the band continued to strain until Clarice found out about Lucrezia and Lorenzo then went and had an affair with Carlo, another Medici executive.

That was the end for the Medicis in the band, but Leo had desperately tried to hold things together until they were officially dropped from the label. 

After a few frantic months of worry, he was finally signed to Roman Records with Lucrezia, Zo and Nico. But the honeymoon hadn't lasted long. While they were recording their first album, Leo found out that he held none of the rights to the songs he had been writing since he signed with Roman. Instead, Sixtus was using the songs for other second-rate artists they already had signed, and Leo wouldn't get a cent of the money. Even the best songs he had composed for his own band were held up in limbo and declared property of Roman so he couldn't record them without permission—which he wasn't given.

The album was a bomb, and then the bottom fell out when Lucrezia betrayed them in the press. She went on record talking about the mess with the Medicis and how Leo abused alcohol and drugs and how all of that contributed to the end of her own marriage, even though it had all been arranged so her ex could move in permanently with his boyfriend. Even though she had tearfully confessed to Leo that the entire thing was a publicity stunt arranged by Roman to launch her solo career, Leo hadn't forgiven. Or been able to forget.

He, Zo and Nico had put out one more album to no response, even their most loyal fans disappointed by the quality of songs Leo didn't write; and although they were trying to tour constantly, they still couldn't make the kind of money Roman expected from them because the label wouldn't even give them decent promotion.

“You're not the boss of me anymore,” Leo pointed out tiredly to Lorenzo. “I followed your rules—okay, most of them—when I was with your label. Then I tried to spite you by getting us signed to Roman records, and I was wrong, okay? I was wrong. They stole my best works and all we have are two albums of fucking trash. And now I'm not even sure if we have Nico. You know that we would have to tour endlessly to make back the kind of money Roman is expecting of us, but their promotion is so shitty, we can't even give away our music.”

“That's why I've come to tell you about the loophole in the contract,” Lorenzo said and Leo blinked.

“I thought you'd come to yell at me about starting an Internet fight.”

Lorenzo shrugged. “I don't give a rat's ass about that.” There was a yell from Nico that was quickly muffled. “It _is_ terrible PR and isn't doing you much good to be seen publicly insulting another artist. But on the other hand, your name is coming to the attention of a lot of people who might not normally listen to your music. I'll make a note to check the online sales of your last album from the point of time you started trending.” He stopped to type something into his phone and Leo shook his head and tried to get the conversation back on the more interesting topic.

“A loophole? You found a way out of my contract with Roman?”

“Possibly,” Lorenzo pulled an envelope from the pocket of his jacket and unfolded the papers. “The contract was very clear about who must meet the terms. Sixtus wanted you specifically as a songwriter even more than a performer, so by all the technical terms after the second album was fulfilled, Zoroaster and Nico are free already.”

“Well that's the fucking best news I've heard in a while,” Zo growled.

“So you can go and make music with someone else?” Leo said quietly. “You can actually quit our band and start your own?”

“If Lorenzo's right, then yeah, I guess we could,” Zo said. Then he slapped the back of Leo's head hard. “But why would we want to make music with anyone else, you miserable sack of shit? I'm too old to be getting used to another guitarist and vocalist now. I've only just finally learned how to keep the rhythm steady while you bounce all over the place.”

Leo could only look up at Zo and grin. 

Lorenzo cleared his throat. “But to come to the crux of the problem, Leonardo is still expected to be a cash cow for Roman. They are counting on you to keep producing at least mediocre hits for other artists otherwise you will be forced to release your own albums, or the price to complete your contract will keep going up.”

“I'm basically an indentured servant then? Forever?”

Lorenzo named a figure that made Leo wince and Zo whistle lowly. “That's a lot of money,” Zo said.

“That's a lot of songs to sell,” Leo sighed.

“Or that's one major hit that everyone wants to rush out and buy,” Nico said from the kitchen doorway. They all looked up at him. “If you work out all the figures, you could come very close by selling a platinum single in the U. S. One million copies.”

“So I'm doomed,” Leo slouched back into the couch. “Even our best hits with Lucrezia never hit platinum. We can't do it alone.”

“No, you're right,” Nico agreed. “You can't do it alone. But I know someone who might be able to help you. And luckily for you, you've already grabbed his interest.”

There was a long beat—a moment of silence that reminded Leo of that instant of potential right before he struck a chord and began the first song of a live set.

“Oh hell no,” Zo said when he figured out what Nico meant. “Not him.”

“Him? Who?” Leo was still stuck wondering how he was going to sell millions of copies of a song.

“Riario who,” Zo answered.

“Oh, him,” Leo thought about that for another beat. “That's interesting.”

“That's all you can say?” “Fuck interesting, it's madness!” Nico and Zo blurted out together.

“What makes you think it would work?” Leo retorted. “He's an internet personality. He's giving it away practically for free as an indie artist. He doesn't know what a high-pressure label is like.”

Now Nico and Lorenzo were staring at him hard enough that even Leo picked up on it. “There's something you're not telling me, isn't there?” he sighed.

“You don't know who Riario is?” Lorenzo asked.

Nico snorted. “Of course he doesn't. Leo doesn't see anyone past the end of his nose unless he wants to fuck them.”

“That's unfair,” Leo started to complain then meekly finished, “but sometimes sadly true.”

Lorenzo tried to get the conversation back on track. “Riario is the son of Sixtus, your head of Roman records.”

“Oh shit,” Leo leaned back into the couch cushions and rubbed at his redoubled headache.

“But they had a huge falling out. His old man basically disowned him,” Nico finished.

“It sounds like you really know this guy.”

“Of course I do. His music is incredible, and he's super-talented. But it's even more interesting that he's taken his exile from his father's business and turned it into a successful career all on his own,” Nico said. “Not bad from a so-called bastard son who was cut off without a penny.”

“Oh fuck me,” Leo whispered, suddenly seeing more possibilities. “I have to fix this.”

“Now, now you want to fix it,” Zo groaned and slumped to the couch beside him. Then he looked up at Nico. “Why are you suddenly willing to help this fuckwad anyway?”

“That's what friends do, isn't it? Help put out the fires?” Nico shrugged. “I'm still really pissed at what you did. On the other hand, I want you out of Roman so you can stop wallowing in your grief and guilt and be yourself again. So we can be a band again.” He stumbled back as Zo jumped off the couch to wrestle him into a headlock and rub his hair.

“What makes you think that he would want to work with me?” Leo spoke up over their yelling.

“You might have to do some convincing. Let go of me,” Nico said breathlessly, wriggling out of Zo's grasp. “I think the first thing you need to do is some research on his music.” Nico dropped beside Leo and woke up his phone. The lock screen was a close-up picture of a grinning Nico next to an almost-smiling Riario.

“Oh Nico, seriously?” Leo rolled his eyes.

“He's really good,” Nico said defensively, a little pink creeping into his cheeks. “He's not a bad guy either.”

“So where do I begin with his music?”

“Every album, he seems to grow and mature, and the last one, Sigh of the Llama, was un-fucking-believable.”

“How very precious of him to name it after a llama. Does it include other nature sounds?” Zo asked drolly and Leo coughed to cover a laugh.

Nico answered with all the excitement only a true fan could muster. “It's actually a metaphor for the melancholy and the fleeting nature of love in a post-modern… You're all staring at me. Fuck you guys. It's really a brilliant record.”

“I'll take your word for it,” Leo grabbed Nico into a brief hug. “So you want me to just go up to this guy and charm him and convince him to help me make the biggest hit song of the decade?”

“Apologize properly,” Nico corrected. “Don't try to charm him because he'll see right through your bullshit, and ask him to make you the biggest hit of both your careers. His fanbase is loyal, and obviously they have excellent networking. More than that, he's good. Really good,” Nico reminded him.

“I was good once.”

“Leo,” Zo said, “you _are_ good. So fucking good that Roman stole your songs. You can be even better than that.”

“They used my masterpiece 'The Last Supper' on a teen pop star, Zo,” Leo told him for the hundredth time. “A song about being emotionally torn out of a relationship, sacrificed on an altar of vanity, and there was a teen starlet bouncing around making pouty faces in a video filled with sparkles. I've never felt so cheap.”

“It's still a good song,” Zo said. “Someday when you're free from Rome, you can play it yourself, just you and your guitar, the way you meant it to be. But first, find a way to get clear of the bastards, okay?”

“You think this guy could help?” Leo asked, looking down at the picture of Riario and Nico. It was pretty adorable.

“It can't hurt?” Zo shrugged.

“Oh yes, it can,” Nico said. “But if you can convince Riario's fans and our fans that you want a truce, and go the entire weekend without making an ass of yourself online again, I will talk to Riario and see if he'll meet you.”

“A weekend is a long time,” Leo warned.

“Try it,” Nico said and patted him on the leg as he stood up. Lorenzo shook Leo's hand and wished him luck then called for Giuliano who came out of the kitchen. He was eating something and just waved at Leo and Zo as he left.

After Zo went home as well, Leo found one of the sandwiches Giuliano had been making in his kitchen, took a long shower, then dug out his laptop. He wanted to do more research on Riario who hadn't posted anything else on YouTube or Twitter. He found his personal website, but it was little more than a placeholder with a brief bio, album cover art and links to online sources to buy his records.

Leo couldn't hold back a snorting laugh at the title of the website. “He calls himself a traveling minstrel. Oh that is rich,” Leo muttered to himself.

He gingerly clicked onto his Twitter notifications and scrolled through them, getting the gist of what the public thought of him. He had infuriated all the Riario fans, quite a number of anime lovers, and many others who jumped in on PC patrol and criticized him for judging and shaming Riario's personal style. Not one but two separate ukulele enthusiasts clubs came at him with pitchforks and torches, but Leo was too amazed there were at least two ukulele enthusiast clubs in the country to be worried. Others started a petition to get Leo banned, from what, he wasn't sure exactly. 

Unsurprisingly, he doesn't see anyone coming to defend the 80s band, but it made him laugh anyway.

He thought about it for a while then Tweeted to Riario:  
_I didn't mean it about the hair, makes you look like a llama actually but you seem to like them so ok_

While he waited for any response, he started on Riario's YouTube videos, listening to the ukulele song again first.

_I like the song a lot but did you have to suggest torching the house and pulling a sword? Couldn't we just talk over coffee_

After he'd gone through a couple months' worth of uploads, he went to iTunes and purchased Sigh of the Llama and started listening to it.

_what do llamas sighing actually sound like? Have you recorded yourself?_

And he meant to type “recorded them yourself” but he was always missing words when he typed too quickly, so he let it go. By the time the album ended, he checked Riario's Twitter and found two new Tweets.

The first was simply a YouTube link. Leo got excited, hoping for another original song, but as the familiar voice of Carly Simon started singing “You're So Vain,” he cracked up laughing. He sang along to “You probably think this song is about you, don't you, don't you” while he went back to the other tweet. 

It was actually a retweet from Leo's very own @NicoDrums and was a meme of a large llama, with hair distractingly like Riario's fringe, staring into the camera. A tiny picture of Leo's face twisted in a grimace as he sang was posted beside it. The caption read: One is a wooly, ill-tempered animal known for spitting. The other is a llama. 

Leo laughed harder and retweeted it too. It couldn't hurt to mock himself if it won him points with Riario. And maybe Nico. Maybe he'd decide to finally give up Riario's number.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Seriously, if it sucks, let me know? If you did find something to enjoy, let me know? You guys are the best; thank you all so much for your love and support!


	3. CHAPTER THREE, wherein our two musical artists finally meet, Riario performs, Leo crushes then crashes, and there are remarkably fewer llamas

By the end of Sunday, Leo was quite sure he never wanted to see another llama again. He had tried to the best of his abilities to play nicely, and had succeeded in a couple sincere-sounding apologies that even the snarkiest, most suspicious of fans had a hard time twisting around. He had retweeted fan works, and had personally answered some of the most vociferous Riario supporters—at least the ones whose rants made the most sense.

The worst he screwed up was late Saturday when he'd gotten into the beer after finishing the last of Riario's videos then went on a rambling, multiple Tweet ode to Riario's musical talent. And long-fingered hands. And the way the muscles in his arms flexed just right as he played. And his voice that sent a thousand chilly fingers of shivers down Leo's spine.

He'd woken up an hour later and deleted them, but the damage was done. The deleted Tweets were screencapped and shared around both fandoms like wildfire.

In a way that could only make sense on the Internet, public opinion slowly started to come around for Leo. Most of Leo's fans were convinced he had a major crush on Riario, while a vocal minority claimed they were disgusted that Leo would stoop to crushing on someone so talentless. The Riario fandom was also split, but the majority seemed to accept Leo now as one of them, and a few posted gifs of “Hallelujah, he's seen the light etc.” and welcomed him with open arms. The rest of the Riario fandom still wanted his head on a pike—metaphorically he hoped—because they hated that he was sexualizing and objectifying their idol.

Leo knew he could never win, and he actually felt a tiny bit of guilt over the rhapsodizing Tweets, but in the end, that remorse was what convinced Nico he was being honest.

Riario had been silent on social media the rest of the weekend, and Leo figured he was either too blown away by Leo's sincerity or he was too shrewd to engage at all and fuel the flames of war. Nico agreed it was probably the latter when he relented and went over the Leo's Sunday night.

“Riario does a lot of live shows, and he always plans the out-of-town ones way in advance. But, he drops into a couple clubs around here once or even twice a week,” Nico explained. “Sometimes he'll post it on his website like an hour before, and sometimes, you just have to be in the right place at the right time to get lucky. Don't laugh, you know what I mean.”

“Does this mean that I'm about to get lucky?” Leo laughed anyway.

“In your dreams. But, I do happen to know where he is going to be tomorrow night so you can get there before the place fills up. If you continue to be nice.”

“And he's going to what? Welcome me with open arms?”

“You'll have to wait and see,” Nico said. 

So Leo Tweeted _If you call off your fans Crusade and I admit my total defeat, do you think we can celebrate a truce?_

He awoke in the early hours of the morning and reflexively checked his notifications. There, for the first time, was a mention from Riario, just a link to Leo's own YouTube channel and one of Leo's oldest and most favorite songs “Freedom in Flight” along with an emoji of a dove flying with an olive branch. Leo couldn't stop smiling and went back to sleep with a strange sense of peace.

Leo got ready for the show in his best disguise—skinny jeans, combat boots, T-shirt and man-bun with a pair of dark-framed glasses. He felt nervous for the first time he could remember, maybe for the first time since his band had performed live for an awards show. He chain-smoked as he drove to the club, trying to combat his nerves by imagining what he would say to Riario. It didn't help.

When Leo arrived, he realized that Nico hadn't told him it was a coffeehouse, not a bar, but Leo figured it somehow fit. He ordered a drink that was too sweet for his taste, but it allowed him to hover in the back of the shop, away from the small stage. Word must have gotten out that Riario would be there, or maybe a lot of fans were really good at guessing his schedule, because the place filled up quickly and Leo faded against a back wall. 

When the lights dimmed, the crowd went silent in anticipation. One light remained on over the piano on the low stage, and a beautiful woman quietly took the bench as they watched. Then Riario came out. 

There was a gasp at Leo's elbow, and it was echoed around the room as the fans spotted him, and then the applause and whistling began. Leo was jostled repeatedly by the petite young woman beside him who seemed intent on deafening him with her screams.

Riario ignored them all as he took a seat on the lone stool on the stage and adjusted the microphone. He was carrying an acoustic guitar and once he brought it up in position, the crowd quieted.

“Oh my god, this is it,” the woman beside Leo squealed quietly. Leo smiled at the love and enthusiasm of the fervent fans as a sea of cell phones were held aloft as Riario strummed a chord and began a song.

Leo was desperately glad the room was packed because he was able to shut his eyes and relax into the music. It was still as magical as it had been the first time he'd heard one of Riario's songs, but with the added excitement and intimacy of the live performance, it made him as aroused as performing live always did.

Riario's voice flowed over him, and Leo had to open his eyes for that, to see what Riario's face looked like when he sang. His eyes were nearly closed, and it was obvious he was pouring heart and soul into the vocals.

Heaven help Leo, he really liked the music. He really liked Riario.

Even though the music was different than Leo's preferred genre, he could imagine how it would compliment his own style. And he began to compose a melody in his head. Riario looked so sensitive, so vulnerable, so naked playing there without the accompaniment of a band beside him.

Riario played several songs without a break, with just the accompaniment of the woman on the piano behind him. Then he took her seat on the piano bench and played for two more of his songs. When she joined him again, he took a quick break to drink some water, then removed another instrument from a case she handed him.

“Is that a mandolin?” Leo asked out loud.

“It is! Isn't that cool? So Renaissance!” the woman beside him supplied helpfully.

“Actually, they developed from the lute much later than—”

But the woman shushed him as Riario began to play again. Leo watched the beauty of Riario playing, lost in the spell of his own music, and he wanted to give in completely too. He didn't realize how intently he was staring until Riario finished the song with a flourish and looked up into the audience.

It was as though Riario had heard his silent admiration and he stared directly at Leo. When their eyes met, Leo felt something he hadn't felt in a very long time, and he took a deep breath and swallowed.

Riario looked down and away then began another song. When it was finished, he stood and the piano player also stood and left the stage. The audience, apparently used to Riario's lack of ceremony, began to clap and scream again.

But, Riario stood there alone for a long moment then took the microphone again. “Will you please bring the lights back up? Thank you.” The crowd silenced as someone turned the house lights back on. Riario's eyes flickered over the audience before stopping on Leo again, and Leo's stomach fell.

“It appears we have a special guest tonight,” Riario said, his speaking voice even more gravelly than usual because of the vocal strain from the performance. A murmur started in the audience as Riario gestured toward the back of the room. “Enjoying yourself or are you live-Tweeting? Everyone, please help me welcome the one and only Leonardo da Vinci.”

When Leo took a step forward, the woman next to him shrieked. All the Riario fans' heads swung to him as though one. It was a little unnerving, and the hatred was palpable as the crowd parted to let him walk toward the stage. He gave a little wave and jumped up the step to where Riario waited. He held out a hand to Riario and said, “That was an excellent performance.”

Riario only gave him a tight-lipped smile and said, “Your opinion is duly noted.” He ignored Leo's hand and turned back to the muttering audience. “As many of you may know, Mr. da Vinci is a well-known musical artist, and he has been so kind as to recommend my works to his own fans.”

The muttering grew louder and one male voice in the back of the room yelled, “Loser Leo!”

Riario held up a hand and the crowd quieted obediently. “No one wants to fight a war on the Internet, and we are graced with his presence tonight as a kind of truce, correct?” Riario glanced over at Leo who could only shrug, not at all sure how he had lost control of the entire situation so rapidly.

Riario went on. “In that case, perhaps da Vinci would be so good as to perform a song for us. A special way of sharing his own music with my followers since he was so happy to point me and my fans out to his. This way we can have a taste of his musical designs.”

Leo's stomach sank and he took a step back, hands raised in a surrendering gesture as he shook his head. Riario turned back to the guitar case and removed his acoustic. He approached Leo with it, and Leo suddenly reevaluated every fleeting fantasy he'd had about Riario being sensitive and vulnerable. There was a dangerous gleam in his eye that only Leo could see, and he brandished the guitar with the same attitude a swordsman would flourish his blade.

“Play for us, da Vinci,” he rasped lowly so the audience didn't hear.

Leo's headshaking grew more vigorous. “Don't you have a lute somewhere I can borrow? I actually learned to play one to impress a girl once,” he tried to joke, but Riario would not be deflected. He thrust the guitar at Leo and pointed to the stool in the spotlight.

Leo cradled the guitar as naturally as he always had, but it didn't feel right. It wasn't because it was Riario's guitar—it had been weeks since Leo had played, longer than he'd ever gone without playing since he'd first picked up a guitar and tried to teach himself. He sat with a sigh, and Riario moved to set the microphone at the best height for him.

“Hey, I really can't do—”

Riario looked up at Leo's panicked whisper and murmured back, “Maybe you'll know what it feels like to be placed in a public situation, with all the attention brought on you, that you did not choose for yourself.” And with another tight little smile, he stepped into the shadows at the side of the stage.

Leo took a deep breath and tried to go into performance mode. He tweaked a guitar string; he fiddled with the mic stand and smiled a huge grin at the crowd. “Thank you all for your warm welcome this evening. What a terrific performance! Isn't he brilliant? Let's all give Riario a big hand and show him our appreciation!”

The crowd couldn't do anything but agree and went into another round of applause and shouting for Riario. But he stayed in the shadows, staring intently at Leo without moving a muscle. Leo cleared his throat as the adoration died down again.

“It's been interesting learning about a new artist and a new style that I hadn't heard before,” Leo went on, desperately trying to buy time. “And thank you all for allowing me to be here to enjoy it with you.”

“You suck!” a male voice shouted out, and Leo squinted into the crowd.

“You sound just like my friend Nico,” he said, loud enough for the microphone to pick up. A few people tittered. “But, you might be right.”

Leo let his fingers play by pure muscle memory, and after a couple false starts, they settled on the simple chords that began “Freedom in Flight.” He had played the song hundreds, no thousands, of times before, but something was wrong. Something was missing. He slapped his hand on the strings, silencing the sound. He cleared his throat and looked back out on the audience.

“Sorry about that,” he said brightly with another fake smile. “Since we've been on hiatus, I've had a bit of a holiday myself. Let's try this again, shall we?”

This time the chords came more quickly, in the correct rhythm, and Leo shut his eyes partway to feel it. He played through the opening once then twice, the vocals supposed to come in, he opened his mouth, and nothing. He'd forgotten the words that he himself had written. Too late, he remembered the first line, so he played the bar again, and began, but his voice cracked and he muffed the second line of lyrics, distracted by how unreliable his voice was. He barely made it to the chorus, fumbling the chords now as they came faster, and the heckler started boo-ing loudly.

It was too much. He slammed his hand on the strings again, and kept his head bowed, breathing hard and staring in horror at the floor. He'd never blown a performance before, not once in all the years he'd thought himself good enough to play in front of other people. It was more than embarrassing; it felt like everything Leo had ever believed about himself just came crashing down around him. He suddenly couldn't breathe, and he only wanted to find a small, dark hole and hide himself in it. He needed a drink and a smoke and to forget this had ever happened.

Instead, he got Riario carefully taking the guitar from his clutching hands, and distantly heard him tell the audience to have a good evening, that the show was over. When Riario jostled his shoulder, Leo jerked and looked up at his face. The expression was unreadable, but Riario tilted his head and looked offstage, so Leo followed him when he walked away down a hall, the boos and laughter of the audience trailing behind.


	4. CHAPTER FOUR, wherein our two musicians battle and Leo learns never to play any game of chicken whatsoever with Riario

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have been terribly remiss to not thank and heap praise on the two people who read this story months ago-- thank you very much Meridian-Rose and IdrisEleven! Thank you for reading it and making so many helpful suggestions. All remaining OOC-ness and unlikable characters are completely my own!

“I think he needs a chair and some water,” Leo heard Riario say softly. There was only a tiny room off the hall, what looked like it once been a storage closet. But Riario's instrument cases were there along with two marginally more comfortable chairs and a coffeetable with some snacks and clothes folded on it. Leo slumped into one of the seats and hid his face in his hands.

“You're a dick,” he said when he finally found his voice. He moved his hands and saw Riario smirking at him.

“I would say it takes one to know one,” Riario trailed off when the pianist returned and handed Leo a bottle of water. “Thank you, Zita.”

“You are welcome,” she said to Riario. With a long look at Leo, she asked pointedly, “Would you like me to stay while the two of you talk?”

“No, thank you. I'm sure it will be fine. You had another wonderful performance tonight,” Riario said, taking her hand and pressing a kiss to her palm. 

She pulled her hand free and rapped her knuckles gently on his head. “Be good,” she warned and with another look at Leo, she left.

“Now, where were we?” Riario sat back in his chair and crossed his legs, looking as comfortable and natural as if he were a king listening to his court. 

“I was telling you you are a dick,” Leo said.

“Ah yes, that's right. You had resorted to name-calling. Really, da Vinci, after the adventure of your social media insults, I had rather expected something more original.”

“Fuck you,” Leo said, fumbling to open the water and take a long drink.

“I imagine you wish that were something stronger?” Riario said in a quiet voice.

“You don't know anything about my wishes.”

“And you don't know anything about me. So you can go back to Roman Records and tell them that they've had their fun fucking around with me, and they can stop it now. I'm sure you'll still get a reward.”

“Roman? What?” Leo's mouth dropped open.

Riario only looked at him with scorn. “You're one of my father's artists, and I am used to them trying to discredit me. You _are_ the first one to attack me this openly. I wonder what my father promised you, if you could successfully make a fool of me.”

“I don't know what the fuck you're talking about,” Leo said. 

Maybe something in his lost expression showed how confused he was, but Riario leaned forward, elbows on his knees. “I am talking about Roman Records using you to mock me.”

“Nobody used me to do anything. That was all me,” Leo said then realized how that sounded. “I really didn't mean to mock you. It just started out sincerely but I'd been drinking and I thought you—” he managed cut himself off before he blurted out that he'd thought Riario was really hot.

Riario watched him closely. “But you are a lackey of my father's. From what I've heard, you are currently his most prolific songwriter.”

Leo didn't control his expression at the thought of that and spit out, “That was not the deal I thought I was making. Your father is nothing but a cheat and a liar.”

“On that, then, we agree,” Riario said and sipped some water, watching Leo curiously. “You were a brilliant songwriter and performer. Once. Your compositions were bold, and your lyrics were imaginative and creative. And then you sold out to Roman.”

“That wasn't all my fault. If I wanted to keep at least part of my band and make music, I had no choice but to sign with them.”

“So you chose to sell your soul and your creativity and let them corrupt your music.”

“Oh, like you wouldn't sell out and be corrupted if it would bring you fame and fortune.”

Riario's hand clenched the disposable bottle, water spilling out over his fist. “Whatever you think you know about me and my family, if you've heard the official line, you are all wrong. I would rather make my music in obscurity and give it away on the street corners than take another penny from my father.”

“Boo-hoo, I don't need your tragic backstory; you aren't auditioning for a TV reality show,” Leo said angrily, loving how it made Riario tighten his fist again. “I get it, life sucks and then you die, but it's how you live in the meantime that matters.”

“If that is the only tripe you can come up, it is no wonder you are not the artist you once were.”

Leo stood up and started to pace, the small room and intensity of Riario beginning to make him feel closed in. Riario was still tensed, ready to jump to defend himself. None of this was going like Leo had planned. He took a deep breath and tried again. 

“There appears to be a very serious misunderstanding here. I thought Nico had explained things to you, but I will speak for myself, if you will listen?” Riario tilted his head, so Leo continued. “I found your music through Nico's iPod and I really, really liked it. I was going to start Tweeting out music to my followers again, and I wanted to share yours. But then, I was drunk and I couldn't keep my mouth shut. Or rather, I didn't keep my fingers from typing what I shouldn't have. I am sorry I insulted you and then continued to do so every time I could have made it better.” He thought for a second. “And I am sorry about the fans' reactions to you. You didn't deserve that.”

“You can't apologize for the actions of a herd mentality,” Riario waved it off. “I assumed you were baiting me in order to bring negative attention to me, and the motive that made the most sense was that you were working at my father's behest.”

Leo shook his head. “That was definitely _not_ my motive. It had nothing to do with your father—I didn't even know who you were until Lorenzo and Nico told me. It was Nico who came up with an idea, though, that could be very mutually beneficial. And that's why I came here tonight. Well, that and to see you perform live. You really are extremely talented.”

Riario seemed to stare right through him for a long, silent moment. “And what was young Nico's idea that could possibly benefit us both?”

Leo quickly outlined what his contract with Roman entailed and how Lorenzo had found a loophole if he could meet the financial requirements. Riario's eyebrow rose at the figure Leo quoted, and his brow furrowed as Leo launched into Nico's plan for a collaboration.

“Why should I do this for you?” Riario said finally.

“With me,” Leo corrected quickly.

“With you or for you, our music has little in common. And we have nothing in common other than Nico, who, if I understand correctly, may be soon looking for another band.”

“There's your father...” Leo started and if Riario was cold before, he was downright freezing now.

“If I help you, you are free of my father. And he loses his most prolific and successful songwriter,” Riario said slowly.

“And suffers humiliations galore,” Leo misquoted and Riario shot him a look.

“Have fun storming the castle,” he said wryly. “I'm still not going to help you.”

“Why not?” Leo asked in all honesty. “I think we could be phenomenal together.”

“Do you think so? An egotistical, drunken guitar player who choked in a coffeehouse tonight, whose voice is wrecked by his lifestyle and now whose songs are being used as throwaway pop singles, and you think this can work between us?”

Leo took a deep breath and ignored the hurt that welled in him at the brutal assessment. “I want it to,” he answered quietly. “I need it to. I need you, heaven help me.”

“And how will you make it worth my while? What are the benefits to me?”

Leo leered and winked before he could help himself. “I can make it worth your while in bed. I'm kidding. Apparently you're incorruptible, unless you and your very gorgeous piano player… no? Don't get angry; I don't know your type. So if I can't tempt you with sex, what can I do to convince you?”

“I didn't say you weren't tempting,” Riario replied, and Leo's leer fell off his face in shock. Riario sat still, only one hand tapping a rhythm on the chair arm as he considered Leo. Riario tilted his head and asked, “Just how far will you go to save yourself?”

Leo cleared his throat and glanced away then focused back on Riario. “I'll do whatever it takes to get free of Roman and make my own music again.”

Riario stood with a graceful motion and moved toward him in a way Leo could only compare to a stalk. Up close, they were much the same height, and Leo could look directly into the deep brown eyes. Riario raised his eyebrow and ran a hand lightly down Leo's chest. “Would you even give me this?”

Leo stepped into the touch, and Riario leaned even closer. “Are you going to make me pay with my body?” Leo whispered against his cheek.

“Maybe I just want to see how far you are really willing to go?” Riario said, and grabbed Leo's belt buckle, making his hips jerk involuntarily.

Although part of Leo was very much interested and willing, he knew it wasn't the part he should be listening to, and he stepped back, out of the very tempting range of Riario. Riario let go immediately and stepped back as well.

“I would be willing to go all the way,” Leo admitted, “but I don't fuck those I work with. Not anymore.”

Riario gave him a knowing smile. “Correct answer.”

“What do you mean, 'correct answer'? What are you— do you mean this was all a test?”

Riario shrugged and sat down again. “I am well aware of your reputation and the sordid situation with my cousin. Oh, you weren't aware of that? You really didn't know Lucrezia is my cousin? Maybe you truly are as clueless as you appear.”

“You did all this on purpose, you son of a bitch,” Leo fumed.

“Consider it a final exam. One you passed. Barely. I did believe you were hired by my father to incriminate me somehow, but if you attempting to blackmail me, you would have gone through with the seduction. Maybe you can truly learn from your mistakes.” He watched Leo closely from under his dark fringe of hair. “I must admit, Nico intrigued me with the idea of us collaborating musically. But, I'm not convinced. You've already made things very messy. And I don't like messy.”

Leo took in his fastidious appearance and believed it. “We don't have to be messy. I can do this right.”

“Let me think it over,” Riario said. “In the meantime, do try not to incite any more online riots.”

“And remind me never to play a game of chicken with you,” Leo muttered.

“I always play to win.”

“So do I,” Leo said and grinned suddenly. “The fun is only beginning, Riario. I am going to make you change your mind. I'm going to woo you.”

“Please don't,” Riario closed his eyes and gave an affected little shudder.

Leo leaned down close to his face. “Prepare to be wooed. You'll never know what hit you.”

Although Leo tried to brace himself for the backlash of his appearance at Riario's show, he wasn't fully prepared when the videos of him struggling to play his song hit the Internet. There were a lot of people laughing, both in the comments and reaction videos. There was lots of online speculation about what was wrong with him. Drunk seemed to be the ultimate consensus, high a possibility, just a stupid jackass with no musical ability was number three. More of his own fans laughed it off but some showed general concern that he had forgotten how to play and then the words to one of his own hits.

Leo tried to shrug it off, and he ignored the well-intended texts from his friends and former bandmates. Zo seemed to understand and didn't mention it after the first time, just wordlessly helped him clear out most of the alcohol from the house and then sit around, messing with their guitars like they had since high school.

Leo tried every social media trick to woo Riario, picking something different to post to Twitter every day. He linked to a favorite poem, a beautiful nature photo, a piece of art he admired. When they went without official comment, he tried re-tweeting funny and cute animal videos, especially ones with kittens. He tried something real and more personal, purchasing a large photo book about the historical development of stringed instruments, and took a photo of himself carefully wrapping it to send to Riario.

After a week without response, Leo admitted he would have to bring out the big guns for his pièce de résistance. He filmed himself in his bathroom for the best acoustics, and although he thought it was crazy, he felt as nervous as though he were leaking a sex tape. He did one take, his version of his own song “The Last Supper,” the stripped down raw version, all the passion of the original song idea lit aflame by the anger he felt over Roman stealing the song. The result was rough, his voice cracked a bit, he missed a chord here and there, but it was about the best and definitely most honest performance he could do.

Then he uploaded, turned off all his devices and spent the rest of the night drinking into oblivion with the last bottle of whiskey he'd hidden.

***

Leo woke up to find Nico sitting beside him. “How do you keep getting in here?” he mumbled into the pillow.

“Zo and I couldn't reach you and we worried you'd finally drunk yourself into a stupor. I thought you'd want to see this,” Nico shoved his phone in front of Leo's nose.

Riario's Tweet at Leo simply said _Let's fly._

Leo curled his toes into the bed in delight and smiled.

“Do I want to know what that means?” Nico frowned.

“It means that we're in business. Riario agreed to record with me.” Leo waited a beat. “Either that or he's finally succumbed to my charm and wants to have sex.”

The near suffocation from Nico wielding a pillow was totally worth it. Leo couldn't wait to get in the studio with Riario.


	5. CHAPTER FIVE, wherein our musicians learn about UST, one musician proves to be handy in the kitchen, and the other wants to get handy in the living room

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note: One of Riario's quirks here is dedicated to Mr. Ritson who commented at Comic Con Portugal 2014 that he believed Riario was a good cook and that cooking would be something Riario would enjoy as a hobby. Since I personally loathe cooking (but not eating), I choose to believe this about Riario, and also that it would probably make him really handy with poison but hey, that's not part of this stupid romantic comedy. A stream of the Comic Con Portugal panel is available on YouTube.

“So you did enjoy my wooing,” Leo gloated when he finally got through to Riario and not his voice mail after Nico had given up the phone number with Riario's permission.

“Wooing? I thought this was war,” Riario replied.

“The two can get confused, if you're doing it right.” Leo found himself leering even though Riario wasn't around to see it.

Riario's sigh came through clearly. “I think only _you_ get confused,” he said. “Now that I've agreed to your ridiculous scheme, what are we going to do next?”

“We write. We record. We sell a lot of singles and make a lot of money.”

“Put like that, it does sound so simple,” Riario's sarcasm also came across crystal clear. “Have you considered making it an EP, rather than just one song? That way you can perform several songs with your bandmates and we would only have to collaborate on one.”

“Only if we collaborate on four,” Leo returned.

“One.”

“Three?”

“One.”

“Call it four and we have a deal.”

“Da Vinci, you're not at all used to bargaining for yourself, are you?”

Leo laughed out loud at Riario's tone. “I'm just trying to convince you that this will be a fun and successful collaboration. If you let it be.”

“This will not end well,” Riario said.

“This will be better than well. This will be brilliant,” Leo enthused. “Let's meet up as soon as you're back in town.”

Riario agreed and ended the call, and Leo was left clutching his phone and holding his head. He was going to need to keep up the enthusiasm and make this partnership work, somehow, because there was too much riding on it to give up already. He really needed everything to go smoothly, but he knew he could at least count on his friends for help.

Of course, that's why Zo and Riario hated each other immediately at first sight. Leo and Nico sat back and watched in awe as the two eviscerated each other verbally, not twenty minutes after meeting for the first time at Leo's house.

“How did this fight start again?” Leo whispered to Nico from their safe viewing spot on the couch.

“Zo said Riario looked at him funny and Riario offered to fix his eyes for him, and they've been at it ever since,” Nico whispered back, keeping his eyes peeled on Riario.

“I left for two minutes to get drinks and all hell broke loose,” Leo grumbled. It sounded like Zo's yelling was winding down, and Riario's gaze kept lingering on the nearby fireplace implements, so Leo stepped up between them.

“Now that we've all gotten to know each other,” he studiously ignored the glares from both of them, “why don't we get back to talking about this EP? Zo, take the loveseat. Riario, won't you sit over here beside Nico?”

Nico beamed and slid over to make room. The meeting progressed a little better—once they ignored Zo's pointed criticisms and Nico's fawning over Riario every time he opened his mouth. Leo finally locked gazes with Riario and shrugged. He loved his friends more than anything, but this wasn't getting them anywhere.

“Let's take five,” Leo suggested then stood and stretched. “Riario, join me in the kitchen. I think the maid left some snacks we can heat and eat.”

“Heat and eat?” Riario replied with scorn in his voice, but he accompanied Leo without argument.

“Where do you think we should do it?” Leo asked as soon as they were out of earshot. When Riario didn't answer, Leo risked a glance back at him. Riario lips were twitching like he was trying not to laugh. Leo went back over what he'd said and grinned. “I was talking about working on our songs.”

“I am sure you were,” Riario said gravely, and Leo realized that was just a part of his armor, his unwillingness to let loose and banter but instead being dry and sarcastic when he got the chance.

“Where do you usually do it?” Leo asked, this time intentionally making a double entendre.

“I usually do it in my bedroom,” Riario replied, and Leo's cock twitched in interest at his deep tone. “When I'm doing it alone, it's most comfortable there and I can get very creative.” Riario smirked at him. “When I'm ready to bring in someone else, I go to a friend's … recording studio.” 

Leo stopped staring at Riario's lips after a moment of silence when his brain caught up with conversation his libido had been listening to. “Ah. I'd wondered if you had any ideas for where we can record. I obviously can't go to Roman's facilities. In fact, we're going to have to keep this very secret, aren't we?”

“I think that would be wise at this point. We don't want anyone at Roman finding out and potentially causing problems. It would be safest to continue to work here until we're ready to record. We won't have to worry about Laura; she's extremely discreet.”

“Sounds like a plan.” Leo began to rummage in the refrigerator, opening plastic containers and sniffing before piling them on the counter. Once the stack suited him, he turned to find Riario roaming through the kitchen, opening and closing cupboards in what looked like disgust. Leo didn't know why, with exception of clean plates and glasses, they were completely empty.

“I think we can stick some of these in the microwave right in the containers,” Leo said and Riario crinkled his nose at him.

“Allow me,” he said and stepped around Leo to examine the food. Leo didn't move away and let Riario stand too close to be able to reach the containers.

“You look like you know what you're doing,” Leo said, stealing a pinch of a dough ball filled with something that tasted good but Leo couldn't identify.

“I know my way around a kitchen, which is more than I can say for you,” he said dryly. “Do you have any tamari? Regular soy will work if that's all you have.”

“Um...” Leo went to the refrigerator and peered inside, not wanting to admit that he had no idea what Riario was talking about.

He felt a warm, hard body lean against his own as Riario tutted and reached around him to grab a glass bottle off the door.

“If we are to work here, you are going to require real food. I don't trust anything you've prepared,” Riario informed him as he took out two more bottles then found a small bowl and whisk.

“Hey, I don't make it myself,” Leo said defensively. “It just appears.” He clarified to Riario's raised eyebrow, “I'm assuming it's the housekeeper.”

“Oh da Vinci, how have you managed to survive this long?”

“That's what they're for,” Leo said, gesturing toward the living room.

Riario stopped whisking and leveled a long look at him, as if judging his sincerity. “I think, perhaps, we might make more progress if we were to begin work on the songs ourselves. Get a feel for whether our musical styles will mesh, come up with some solid song ideas before we bring in the rest of your band.”

There was a loud yell from Nico telling Zo to “get the fuck off me, you soft saggy prick” as if on cue.

Riario rolled his eyes and Leo was forced to admit the wisdom of his suggestion. “Okay, but you have to break the news to them.”

Riario smirked, a tiny movement of his lips along with a tilt of his head and a look through his eyelashes and Leo almost dropped the plate he was holding at the devilishness of the expression. “I have an idea.”

They ate in the living room, passing around the finger foods, Leo settled onto the couch putting Riario in the middle, and he tried to ignore the hard thigh that periodically pressed against his own. Leo made sure he sprawled in the widest manner possible and even let Riario put food on his plate at one point.

Once the food was cleared away, Riario moved to a side chair where he unpacked his guitar and began to tune it. He nodded to Leo, “Perhaps you would like to do the same? Maybe if we start playing rather than talking...”

Leo was only too happy to agree. He moved to the recliner opposite, making them all in a loose circle, and went through his customary greeting with his favorite acoustic. He closed his eyes as his fingers ran over the fretboard, each ridge as familiar as his own body. He let out a long sigh and settled the guitar comfortably against him as he strummed a few chords. Even with only a week's practice, the longing and love had come rushing back, and the guitar felt as perfect as it ever had.

He opened his eyes to three sets staring back at him. “What?”

Riario cleared his throat and looked away, Nico started to blush and Zo shook his head. “If you're looking for something to fondle, we can leave you two alone.”

Leo refused to feel embarrassed. “You know she's always been my favorite lady,” he said and purposely ran his hand slowly in a lewd motion up and down the neck.

“Pervert,” Zo said with some affection and Leo stuck out his tongue.

“If you would like to put that tongue to good use, perhaps we can get started. Would you like to begin with one of your songs?” Riario interrupted.

“Sure,” Leo agreed, and launched into one of his most upbeat favorites, “Tank Attack on My Heart.” Riario joined him after the fourth bar, and Leo was so surprised, he almost quit playing. He did forget to start singing, and Riario stopped the song.

“It might work better if you were committed to this,” he said and Leo felt chided. “I want to get a feel for your rhythm. If you would try again?”

This time Leo was prepared for Riario to start playing, although he wondered just how many of the band's songs Riario had prepared and learned. It tempted him to pick a really obscure song that had never been a single. Although it would have been even more unnerving if Riario had memorized it.

Leo sang, and his voice was already stronger than it had been at the coffeehouse. He remembered the lyrics and came to the chorus and carefully did not stop when Riario began to sing in harmony. At first Leo kept his eyes closed, head moving with the beat, but when Riario continued the harmony into the second verse, he opened his eyes and stared. Riario was looking at him— _through_ him—and Leo couldn't tear his eyes away.

He almost messed up the lyrics to the bridge, but Riario kept right on singing and Leo caught up in a flash. His eyes were locked onto Riario's all the way through the final notes, and it ended with a soft flourish that brought to mind his ballad “Vitruvian Man” so he turned the notes into the intro and swept right into it. The song was more of a love song and had always challenged Leo's voice in the upper ranges, but Riario let him croon through the first verse before backing him in the chorus as before.

Leo couldn't have closed his eyes if he'd wanted to. He couldn't have stopped singing either, even if he'd forgotten the lyrics again, but they came to his tongue automatically. He stared into Riario's dark, never changing expression and made music, feeling freer and higher than he had in years and never without the help of other substances.

When the love song ended, Leo's throat was dry and he knew his voice was catching. He had to stop, and he finally wrenched his gaze away, carefully propping the guitar against the chair and reaching for his bottle of water.

“Well that was something,” Zo said.

“I thought we sounded pretty good,” Leo said, frustrated by how his voice was noticeably scratchy already.

“It might be fine if you're looking for a Simon and Garfunkel duet, but that's not the kind of thing that's going to sell you a million copies,” Zo said bluntly.

Riario's palm came down on his strings with a thump. “Do you ever have anything constructive to say, or do you only ever yap to hear yourself bark?”

“Okay, you fucker, if you want to go—”

“That's enough you two,” Leo said, pointing his bottle at Zo and then at Riario who had his hands spread in an unmistakeable “Come at me, bro” gesture. “We're just getting warmed up.” Leo hoped.

“Do you think you can follow me?” Riario said, and with that look on his face and the way he licked his bottom lip and looked up at Leo from under that hair, yes, Leo believed he could follow him anywhere.

Riario started on the first song Leo had heard of his, “Like a Knife in the Heart,” and Leo wondered if Nico had tattled on how he'd caught Leo messing around with it days before. Leo let Riario take the lead, never taking his eyes off him, and the magic happened again. He let Riario sing, his voice surprisingly crisp compared to his normal speaking tone, and Leo added to the accompaniment. They stared at each other, and Leo couldn't have said what the words even were or if Riario was singing gibberish because it all melted away.

Leo felt like he was spinning through time and space. The music was more real than it had ever been, and even though it wasn't a song that he'd created, he could _feel_ the music all the way inside him, maybe radiating from Riario, maybe reflected from him. Leo couldn't describe what it was, but he knew that as long as he locked eyes with Riario and made music, he never wanted it to stop.

When Riario finished the song, Leo stopped and blurted out, “I really want to toss this guitar aside and climb you right there.”

Riario flipped his pick idly. “I don't suggest you try it.”

“Come on, doesn't such passionate music incite other forms of passion?”

“Yet somehow I manage to maintain my composure.”

Leo leaned forward. “Is the music not strong enough?”

“Perhaps it is simply the musician.”

“Are you saying you're not attracted to me?”

“I have been forewarned,” Riario corrected.

“My reputation precedes me?” Leo guessed and Riario shrugged.

“Your reputation is one of the few things larger than your ego.”

“It's not the only thing,” Leo leered broadly and he swore Riario tried to hide a laugh again.

“Get a room,” Zo muttered loud enough for everyone to hear. Riario huffed and turned, mouth opening, but Leo quickly interrupted before another fight could begin.

“What do you say we do one more? I want to feel that again.” Leo licked his lips and watched Riario watching him.

Zo sighed and stood up, gesturing to Nico. “Come on, let's get out of here.”

“Why?” Nico held on to the couch cushions when Zo tried to pull him to his feet.

“Because I know that look, and in about a minute, either punches or their pants will be flying, and we don't want to be in the middle of that.”

“We don't?”

“No, we don't,” Zo said firmly to Nico's forlorn expression. When Nico finally got up, Zo looked at Leo. “Watch yourself. Don't fall for his dubious charms.”

“Zo,” Leo warned.

“That goes for both of you actually,” Zo said and headed to the door with Nico in tow. “Get some work done. Call us when you're ready for our help.”

Nico looked back at them hopefully, but Leo waved and Riario only smiled at him as the door closed.

“Nice plan,” Leo said.

Riario shrugged. “The key is to making your friend think he has come up with the idea himself otherwise he will never want to obey something he is ordered to do.”

“You know how to manipulate people pretty well.” Leo didn't hide how impressed he was.

“It's just a matter of finding out what people want and what motivates them. And what they desire most.”

“And they've always said that I was behind the scenes, trying to control everyone and make them do what I wanted.”

“Then what do you do when you meet someone who is also a master of control?”

“I guess we'll find out.” Leo had been half-joking when he'd said he wanted to climb Riario before, but now he was completely serious about wanting to take him right there in the living room.

Riario put his guitar carefully in its case and stood, hands brushing out the creases in his jeans. Leo watched the lithe fingers run down the thin but muscular thighs. When he looked back up into Riario's eyes, Riario wasn't trying to hide his laugh.

“It looks like it's been a while,” he said, and Leo nearly blurted out that it had been entirely too long. “Going without for too long isn't healthy. It should be used regularly.”

“I couldn't agree more,” Leo said fervently and stood, moving toward him when Riario veered and stepped over to the small baby grand piano that had been shoved into the corner of the room. It had come with the furnished house, but Leo and Zo had moved it out of the way to have more room for watching TV and playing video games. Leo didn't think it had been touched since they'd used the lid as a table for beer pong.

Riario ran his hand over it and grimaced at the dust. “Shall we see if you remember how to play this?” Riario took a seat and flipped open the keyboard cover. His fingers ran through the scales, and Leo came up to stand behind him, close enough that Riario's head was even with his waist. He very carefully did not touch Riario but he stood so closely he was sure Riario could feel the heat from his body.

“Play something for me,” Leo leaned down to say it lowly in Riario's ear, and he didn't comment when Riario's fingers slid off onto a wrong note.

Riario cleared his throat. “This is something I've been working on with Zita. We have the arrangement finalized, but we are still working on recording all the parts. It's one of the more ambitious arrangements we've ever tried, trying to recreate an entire symphonic sound with just the two of us. You'll miss the horns and percussion, but...” His voice trailed off as he began to play.

Leo shut his eyes and swayed behind him as the music started. He didn't know what Riario had in mind for the finished song, but the haunting piano alone was stunning. The song told a discordant tale of fear, sadness and loss then slowly segued into reconciliation and hope. It ended leaving Leo feeling jubilant and uplifted for no other reason than the ethereal music had touched somewhere deep inside him.

“That was incredible,” he said softly when the sound had died away.

“Can you write lyrics for it?” Riario answered just as quietly.

“You would give me your new song?”

“It's supposed to be for us,” Riario said, and Leo just had to reach down and squeeze his shoulder.

“I don't think I'm even allowed to write because Roman owns all my writing,” Leo tried to keep the bitterness out of his voice. “At this point I'll be lucky if I can get away with performing for myself.”

“We'll worry about the legality later. For now, you must concentrate on writing the best songs you ever have. It won't be easy because we do not have much in common.”

“Yes, we do,” Leo interrupted. “We might perform in different genres, but at heart, I think it's all the same.”

Riario twisted to look up at him, and Leo squeezed his shoulder again, just now realizing he'd been holding it the entire time.

“So,” Leo said brightly. “What are we going for? Power ballad? Romantic slow song? Electronica dance hit? Party rock anthem?”

Riario huffed and then laughed out loud. Leo counted it as his biggest victory of the day, making Riario comfortable enough around him to laugh twice.

“Let's try it all.”

Leo knew there was a reason he was attracted to the man. He so wanted to try it all with Riario.


	6. Chapter SIX, wherein we have a recording that ends (finally!) on a high note but still no llamas to be found

The recording itself was one of the hardest—literally—jobs Leo ever had to do. It was torture being locked in a tiny room day in and day out with Riario, breathing the same air, brushing past one another, singing into each other's souls. It made him hard—literally—and he could only escape to the bathroom so many times before Laura's knowing smirk made him feel an iota of embarrassment.

For some reason, Zo had hit him soundly in the back of the head the one and only time Leo had dared say that out loud when he was complaining. Zo obviously didn't understand the tortures a true artist faced.

Things had progressed quickly once Leo got to work, and he was used to working day and night when he was in the creative zone. He wrote, edited, crossed it out, changed it completely then burned that copy and wrote again. The lyrics weren't as difficult as he'd feared; it seemed he had more left in him to say than he'd thought.

The biggest change was learning to deal with the strange and bizarre ways Riario worked. The man actually insisted on stopping for the night to get some sleep but then was up at the crack of dawn—a time that Leo only ever saw from the other side—to start fresh. 

And when Leo tried to do one of his usual 40-hour shifts of straight-through creativity, Riario had personally taken charge and ordered him to bed. Leo wasn't even tired enough to stop propositioning him, until Riario had physically wrestled him from the couch to the floor and put him into some kind of armlock that Leo was loathe to break. So he didn't, but he still pulled at Riario when he escorted him to the bedroom then waited until Leo brushed his teeth and got into bed. His entreaties to be tucked in and given a goodnight kiss fell on deaf and uncaring ears. But Leo had reluctantly agreed the next morning that he had eventually fallen asleep.

Perhaps the strangest thing was the way that Riario cooked. He didn't order takeout then dump it onto real plates and serve it. He didn't even raid the freezer section and plop things into the oven to be heated. He _cooked_. 

It was intriguing to Leo who had always been fascinated by the innate chemistry and skill necessary to take raw, potentially dangerous ingredients and meld them into something edible—or in Riario's case, something delicious. He'd even taken into account Leo's vegetarian diet when coming up with his menus. The first time Riario had arrived with bulging canvas tote bags, Leo had been merely curious. But by the second time, Leo liked to curl up on a kitchen bar stool and watch Riario actually prepare the food and create a meal, his hands as sure and practiced with a knife as they were on his guitar.

The highlight of the day soon became meals, and Leo's mouth would water at the smells coming out of the room that had mostly been a mystery and alcohol repository.

With Leo healthily fed and occasionally sleeping, he was more than ready to work hard at the songs. He soon found out that despite his weird habits, Riario was every bit as committed to the project as Leo. It didn't stop them from bickering and occasionally circling each other like two wary cats. Or two swordsmen, Leo thought hurriedly for a more elegant metaphor. Two swordsmen who were each evaluating, searching for the opponent's weaknesses and strengths, even though they were supposed to be fighting on the same side.

But, the huge confrontation that Zo had predicted never came, and the disagreements and arguing remained almost friendly. After a while, Leo liked to think of it as verbal foreplay—the longest foreplay in the history of sex, he was sure. It was still fun to spar with Riario, meet his verbal challenges, one up him on wit and snark. Some days they talked nearly as much as they played. After a few rough starts and one memorable tantrum that resulted in Leo breaking two vases, they worked well together. Leo didn't back down from what he liked; Riario acted as though he simply assumed the world would change to suit him.

Somehow, against all the odds and the dire forebodings from Zo, it worked.

Nico and Zo didn't stop over without calling ahead, but once Leo presented them with nearly finished works in progress, the meetings went much better and they contributed their expertise to the arrangements. Although the arrangements were different from Riario's usual, he also adapted without losing a beat.

Leo became entranced with another slow, romantic ballad that Riario had written most of the music for. It was mostly a piano piece, together with the violin and cello of all things, and the first time he'd played the piano part, Leo had grabbed for his notebook and written as fast as he could. He demanded Riario play it over and over while he wrote, scratched out words and wrote again, until Riario complained that his fingers were cramping and the eggplant was burning.

The resulting song was one of Leo's favorites he'd ever written. It was gorgeous, yes, the music was lovely, but the lyrics were just as beautiful, and Riario's voice when he sang made it clear that this was a love song for a relationship that would never be. Leo called it “Mona Lisa,” and talked about an unassuming woman, her enigmatic smile that drew him in, unable to explain her attraction but she was a masterpiece. Leo thought it was a perfect representation of art in all forms, making the song his canvas, the lyrics his brushstrokes, the melodies his composition.

Riario laughed when he told him his theory. Although Leo was happy that Riario was loosening up to laugh around him, it was still off-putting when it was directed _at_ him.

“Maybe I should have made it into a man,” Leo fretted for the tenth time. “Or written it more gender neutral. I can go back and change that.”

“Leave it, da Vinci,” Riario said even more firmly than he had the first nine times.

“But don't you worry about normalizing heterosexuality in your songs?”

“Relationships and sexuality are fluid,” Riario replied as he re-tuned his guitar. “By focusing on a character you have created for a song, you are implying nothing about the sexuality of the performer of the song.”

“Interesting philosophy.” Leo watched his fingers pluck at the strings and just had to ask. “Are you?” When Riario looked up, he elaborated, “Sexual?”

“Fluid,” was all Riario said, but it gave Leo a little bit of hope that their constant flirtation could become something more.

The remaining days were so chock-full of sexual tension, Zo joked that the stucco was starting to peel off the walls. At least Leo thought he was joking. When Zo got bitter, it was hard to tell, and the one wall of the living room where they had chastely remained was looking a little pockmarked.

After they had the songs set and the arrangements finalized, Riario had introduced them to Laura Cereta, a producer he had worked with exclusively since he had started making his own music. At first Leo thought there was something more than music being made between them, especially when Zo and Nico picked up on it. But Riario was unfailingly courteous to her, and Laura watched him closely but Leo also found her watching him. And she had a keen ear for music, telling them immediately when something they liked was simply not working.

The second day in the studio, Leo was taking a break sitting in the control room alone when Riario's phone buzzed repeatedly. He was curious, sure, and wanted to know who was blowing up Riario's phone, hoping it wasn't a romantic connection, so the next time it buzzed, he picked it up and recognized one of Roman's numbers on the caller ID. When Riario came back with Laura, Leo slid the phone over to him with the most innocent air he could manage. “Someone wants you bad,” he said.

Riario glanced down, thumbed it on, and Leo saw his jaw clench immediately. “Excuse me,” Riario said with a little head tilt to Laura and left the room for privacy. Laura raised an eyebrow and looked to Leo who only shrugged.

“Girl troubles? Boy troubles?” he suggested.

Laura rolled her eyes and went on to ignore him.

When Riario returned, there was no missing his changed mood. He practically threw the phone onto the couch in the control room then grabbed one of the electric guitars waiting in its case. “What are we waiting for?” he growled and ripped open the door to the booth.

Laura made a little shooing motion to Leo and said quietly, “I'm leaving the speaker off until you get it out of him. The sound engineer won't be back for at least five more minutes. Give me a wave when you want me to listen in again.”

Leo nodded and picked up one of his own guitars. Riario was already plugged in and staring fixedly at the wall. Leo took his time getting ready, shooting glances at Riario's stiff form.

“Do you want to—”

“No.”

“I'm just saying that if—”

“There is nothing to say.”

Leo blew out a frustrated sigh. “Look, I know it was someone from Roman calling you. Was it your father?”

Riario leveled a glare at him, but Leo shrugged. Riario finally said, “It was one of my father's attorneys.”

“Ah. Did he threaten you?”

“Not in so many words. They have gotten wind of our collaboration, and they are trying to stop it.”

“Are they going to sue me?”

Riario almost snorted. “No. They tried to buy me off. Again.”

“Wow,” was all Leo could say. “How much did they offer you?”

“More than you're worth,” Riario said, but Leo was familiar enough with him now to know that was his teasing tone.

“So you're not going to take them up on it?”

“Not after I've invested all this time and energy into you.”

“Good. Because I've been ignoring their summons,” Leo said and Riario's head whipped up.

“They've been trying to contact you?”

“Someone has been calling me. But I just let them go to voice mail. Then never check my voice mail. It's probably full by now. But, at least I can say that I haven't talked to them so I don't know what they want so I don't have to do it.”

Riario stared at him but Leo just grinned, unapologetic in his immaturity. “You are unbelievable,” Riario finally said. “Now sit down, we are going to get it perfect this time.”

“Yes, sir,” Leo grinned and obeyed, making a hand signal to Laura that they were ready to begin. He knew she could see Riario's more relaxed posture and hoped he would be back in the game.

The worst part was being knee to knee in the tiny recording booth with Riario for hours. At first Leo had tried to just keep his eyes closed and wallow in the sound they were creating. It worked, to a point. Then he tried staring off into space when they had to re-record a particularly tricky part over and over. But eventually he would find himself staring at Riario, and their eyes would meet, and he would find himself on auto-pilot, going through the motions of playing and the words of singing without fully realizing them. And to his dismay, it always seemed like those cuts were the ones Laura liked the best.

Zita came in when she was off from her day job and laid down her tracks. Zo and Nico recorded whenever they had the time, with Zo flitting in and out of the studio depending on what they had planned. Nico had started shadowing Laura all through the recording and learning more from the sound engineer. 

But Leo and Riario spent the most time trapped in the booth after Laura realized their connection was only better for making them suffer together, Leo thought. His knee would rub against Riario's or he'd watch the way Riario's neck stretched when he took a drink of water or the way his back muscles flexed under his T-shirt when he bent over to place his guitar in the case. It turned Leo on so much, and the music only intensified it. When Riario was creating, he came alive, and Leo knew it was bringing out the best music he'd ever made too.

That was why he felt bold enough to offer Laura and Riario each a music sheet the last day of recording. “Just for shits and giggles,” he said, trying to play it off but both of them were reading, Laura skimming the lyrics and melody while Riario raised an eyebrow.

“And you thought it was best to wait until we are almost complete?”

Leo shrugged. “This will give us six songs, and it's just meant to be a throwaway. You know I can't own the rights to anything I write yet, so you'll have to take credit.”

“For now,” Riario murmured, eyes flicking over the page again. “Shall we see how it goes?”

“Let's,” Leo grinned and held the booth door open for Riario to squeeze past, their bodies sliding against each other in one of the hundred little touches they did throughout the day that were driving Leo out of his mind.

When they finished the re-takes Laura wanted, she gave them the go-ahead for the new song. As Leo began to play, he reflected that it wasn't so much like follow the leader but rather like a dance. With the songs Riario had written, Leo thought that he himself brought an improvisational and rougher quality to music that could be too laced up and pristine, too perfect, too predictable. Leo was able to find the notes to complement it and make it go wild and passionate.

But with the songs Leo started, he drove the melody but Riario brought a soul to the composition, more than just technical excellence to the piece, but he fleshed it out in ways that Leo hadn't realized his music was even lacking.

Laura was amazed by their sound and only pushed them to give more in their own individual ways. Leo was surprised he had responded so willingly after seeing Riario give himself completely over to the music. They both had, and Laura smiled at them.

It was a once-in-a-lifetime kind of collaboration, Leo thought as he watched Riario's eyes. He only wished it could last longer than once. 

They went through the new song three times, each a little stronger until Leo was sure the third time was the charm. It couldn't get better than that. Laura was wiping her eyes, and made the sign through the glass.

“That was incredible, boys. You've definitely made something very special here. I think we've got all we need.”

“Thank you for all your hard work,” Riario broke their stare to look over at Laura. “If we manage any kind of success, we owe it to you.”

Laura brushed it off with a wave. “You two have chemistry through the roof. And since you haven't managed to explode yet, it's a good thing you were able to vent it through your music.”

Riario opened his mouth and looked puzzled, but Leo beat him to it. “What the fuck?”

“That's the key word,” Laura winked at them. “I'm turning off the sound and we're leaving now. Don't forget to lock up when you go.”

“What the fuck?” Leo repeated, looking at Riario whose face looked like it was getting a little red.

“I believe she might be insinuating that there is something more than a musical duet between us.”

“Oh. Does this mean we can have sex now?”

“I told you, repeatedly, that I do not get involved with those with whom I work.”

“But our work is over now.” Leo stood up then leaned down, right into Riario's personal space, hands on the arms of the chair blocking him in.

“It is most certainly not. We will have to approve the final mix, re-record any rough spots, not to mention the promotion for the EP which we have yet to discuss.”

“God, you are so hot even when you're turning me down,” Leo interrupted. Riario's mouth was still open, and Leo leaned in and kissed him. There was an instant of hesitation when Leo thought maybe he'd misread the entire weeks-long situation then Riario grabbed the open panels of his denim shirt and kissed him back. It was rough and hard, Riario's teeth grazed his bottom lip, but Leo sucked in Riario's lip in retaliation then licked into his mouth.

Leo realized he was trying to climb onto Riario's lap in the narrow chair when Riario's hands grasped his hips and held him still. “Not here,” Riario panted against his cheek, and Leo took the opportunity to lick over to his ear and give it the same treatment.

“Not here,”Riario repeated and pushed him back harder. Leo wasn't sure if he was denying him completely, but one look at Riario's wild eyes and the way he was breathing heavily reassured him.

“Where then?”

“Your house?”

“Too far.” Leo ran his hand through Riario's hair and tugged it. Riario's breath stopped and he moaned a little.

“There's a couch out there, but I am not going to—” 

Leo headed to the door, dropping his shirt as he opened it. “Well, I am going to, if you'd like to join me.”

He had to turn away to get through the door, but he was infinitely relieved when he heard Riario pant behind him. “Da Vinci, you are out of your mind. I will not have sex in this recording studio where I will be forced to remember it every time I come here to work.”

“Well, then we'd better make it a spectacular memory so you have something good to think about the next time you're here.” Leo turned and grabbed his shoulders, pulling him close to kiss again. But this time he took his time, stroking his hand along Riario's face, thumb following his high cheekbone as Leo slowly explored his mouth. Riario held him back, hands feeling down his sides to his waist then lower, pulling them together by the hips.

Leo grinned into the kiss when he felt Riario's growing hardness against his own. He shifted so that his dick rubbed against Riario's hip and groaned at the sensation.

“Come on, let's do this. It's about time,” he babbled as he went for Riario's belt. But Riario's hand stopped him.

“This changes nothing,” Riario said, even as he ran his own hands under Leo's T-shirt around his back.

“I know. You're still a self-righteous musical prick,” Leo murmured into his ear before he bit the hinge of Riario's jaw.

“And you are still a delusional, arrogant, washed-up musician,” Riario let go of his back to grab a handful of Leo's loose hair and pull. Leo yelped but Riario nuzzled into the bared neck and bit him, and Leo's mumble turned into a moan.

“Well, as long as we agree,” Leo said, eyes closing as Riario trailed more kisses and bites down his neck.

“I thought you only did this with your groupies,” Riario said in a far more conversational tone than Leo could have managed at that point. Then he realized what was said and got offended. He pulled away as far as he could then shoved at Riario, catching him off-balance and toppling him to the couch.

Leo stood over him and crossed his arms over his chest. “Do you really think I only fuck groupies?”

Riario looked at him from under his tousled hair, but Leo could see the change in his big, brown eyes. Gone was the smartass. Instead there was another expression that Leo couldn't quite interpret. “Isn't everyone a fan of the great Leonardo da Vinci?”

“Nice try,” Leo said wryly.

“There are myriad stories of you warming the beds and backseats of your fans. Sometimes more than one fan at a time, but never more than once. I will not let a fuck—even a good one—ruin what could be a lucrative business and creative arrangement.”

Oh. Leo rubbed at his face and re-crossed his arms. “So you think I'm going to fuck and run? Well, I'm not. Not this time. This is too important to me.” He couldn't bring himself to speak the words of absolute truth, that Riario himself might possibly be too important to Leo to give up after one time.

Riario's tight little smile didn't look convinced. So Leo leaned over him, hands gently feeling his knees, and kissed him again. Riario's response was definitely stilted now so Leo found his courage and whispered, “You are important to me.” 

Riario kissed him harder then, hands roaming from Leo's face to his shoulders, and down his arms. Leo was getting a kink in his back, and his impatience was rearing its head again. He pulled back from the kiss and dropped to his knees. Riario raised an eyebrow, but Leo knew now that the nonchalance was all an act. 

Leo spread Riario's knees and never broke their stare as he stroked his hands up the inside of his thighs to his crotch. Riario's sharp intake of breath was his only outward reaction. When Leo reached his belt buckle, he said lowly, “We're still musical partners, and this changes nothing between us. So, do you want to?”

Riario didn't answer for a long moment and Leo was ready to scream until he nodded slowly and rasped, “Yes, God help me, I do.”

That was enough for Leo. He was a blur of motion, leaning up to kiss Riario quickly even as he attacked his belt then fly and manhandled his underwear aside. When he finally had Riario in hand, there was a long, deep moan, but Leo couldn't have said which one voiced it. After a few strokes, Leo knew he had to get his mouth on him, so he did. 

Leo found out that Riario's voice in climax was even more addictive than his singing, and all he could think about was spreading him out on a big bed and doing every filthy thing he could imagine with him.

It was even better when Riario pulled him up to the couch, pulled down his jeans and returned the favor. After weeks of torturous musical foreplay Leo was a little afraid he'd be a little disappointed by the real thing, that it might not live up his fantasies.

Instead, Riario's hot mouth and tight hand were even better, and after Leo came, he said that out loud.

Riario wiped his mouth and gave him a look that clearly said he did not believe him.

“I'm serious,” Leo argued, struggling to coordinate his muscle movements enough to sit up. “I've had a lot of time to imagine a lot of sex with you, and I'm honestly astonished that a blow job was that good. I think it's you.”

“My sexual prowess is so mighty?”

“No, it's because it's _you_ ,” Leo insisted, knowing what he meant but still a little too discombobulated to articulate what he wanted to say.

But he saw when Riario must have understood what he was trying to say, and he spotted the first chink in Riario's outward armor of aloofness. Leo reached out for him, and although Riario tried to duck away, Leo brought him within kissing distance. Maybe Riario needed some reassurance, and although Leo might not be the best at it, he could give it his best shot.

“Let's go back to my place,” he suggested. 

“I thought this was one and done.” 

“Oh no, we're just getting started. Especially for tonight,” Leo grinned wickedly and Riario quirked a little smile. 

Leo always thought the only thing that could possibly be better than making music with Riario would be making love with him—and he was right.


	7. Chapter SEVEN, wherein our protagonist makes his bid for freedom and we learn the results of all his hard, hard work

Getting Riario into bed… on the couch… the kitchen table… the shower… even an attempted liaison on top of the piano that Riario nixed because _respect the instrument_ , all of it helped keep Leo's mind off the impending doom.

Their EP was almost complete, Laura had told them it would be ready in days, and she and Riario had worked out a distribution plan. Nico proved an apt pupil and helped Riario contact all his normal outlets after they decided there would only be a limited CD printing which would save them tremendously on costs. The rest of sales would be online downloads only.

Nico had crunched the numbers again with Lorenzo, and he had charts of different scenarios that would earn Leo enough money to satisfy his contract with Roman, essentially buying his freedom from the label, in the form of single and EP sales. The bad news for Riario was that he would be working for nothing unless the sales totaled more than what Roman demanded.

Riario shrugged it off when Nico finally got done explaining, and Leo held his tongue for once against making a lewd or suggestive comment about ways Leo could offer to pay him anyway. It felt too real all of a sudden, and Leo tried not to worry that this musical experiment could flop and leave them all damaged. Riario's musical reputation could be ruined if he were branded a “sell-out” while Leo felt like he would be indebted to Roman and working as their personal songwriting monkey forever.

When he had thoughts like that, the best way to distract himself was to back Riario against the nearest wall and do dirty things with him.

It also enabled Leo to prove himself to Riario, that he wasn't going to throw him over the second he had had enough sex. Although Leo couldn't actually imagine ever having enough sex with Riario. And even though he still hadn't managed to crack Riario's armor completely, he knew he was chipping away at it. Every time Riario grew sarcastic and leveled another verbal jab at him, Leo now recognized some of his vulnerabilities. Riario might believe Leo was not working for Roman, but he didn't completely trust him or anyone. 

Leo thought he could change his mind eventually and earn his trust. If things went perfectly with the music, it could make a huge difference.

Then came the announcement that the EP was ready. It was done. Leo listened to it over and over, and there were so many things he heard that he wanted to fix, to change. It was too late now, but he experienced that awful feeling in the pit of his stomach that any creator does when their project is about to be released. He felt he could do better, so much better, given more time.

But Riario gave the go-ahead and Laura had everything prepared when Leo and Riario made their concerted attack on Roman. At least that's how Leo thought of it when they swept into Roman's offices on a day when Riario's sources had agreed that Alessandro would be in the office. They ignored security, his underlings and his secretary to barge right into his private office.

“What are _you_ doing here?” he asked after several moments spent staring at them blankly while he finished eating a piece of sushi. Leo looked over to Riario who was standing stiffly and not making eye contact with his father.

Leo answered for them. “I'm here to let you know that I will shortly be freeing myself from your label.”

“And just how do you plan to try that? I have it on good authority that we have you locked down for the rest of your natural life as a songwriter.”

Leo's jaw clenched and he could feel the rage rolling off Riario. “And I have it on better authority that your contract attorneys left a loophole. They didn't require me to write a specific number of songs or sell a particular number of albums, but they set it as a dollar amount,” Leo said and slapped down a folder full of documents that Lorenzo and his people had helpfully provided. “I am about to debut an EP in collaboration with another artist, and when it sells enough copies, I will meet your contract obligations and therefore, be released from your label.”

Alessandro took another bite and didn't say a word until he was done chewing. “And you thought your best chance to sell that many albums would be to take up with an independent 'artist' whom nobody is even aware of?” Alessandro even made the air quotes around “artist.”

Riario took a step forward. “Better to be unknown than beholden to you.”

“I remember a time when that wasn't true, my boy.” Alessandro looked from one to the other. “I am sorely disappointed in both of you. I made you a star, da Vinci,” which was such a blatant lie Leo almost choked, “and I have had my staff offer you recording contracts and promotional deals many times over, Girolamo.”

From the look on Riario's face, that might not have been such a huge lie.

“And now, you think you can team up and somehow stand against me? Both of you should know better that this business doesn't work like that.” Alessandro blotted his mouth with a napkin and waved a hand to dismiss them.

“It's too bad this is a done deal. Our EP will be available for sale on every online site. And although it's my name on it, and therefore considered your intellectual property by contract, we both know I can sell enough of my own work to make you your money.”

“What if it isn't just money we want from you?”

“I think I'm going to be sick,” Leo stage-whispered to Riario, who didn't crack a grin as he stared just over his father's head.

“Your puerile jokes aside, we will shut you down this instant.” Alessandro banged his fist on his desk, splattering food across the files. “There will be no way your EP will ever see the light of day for the public. And you will have a hard time selling any copies when none of the major suppliers will carry it.”

“That might be a little difficult, seeing how it went online about,” Leo ostentatiously checked his watch, “ten minutes ago.”

Alessandro locked eyes with him. Leo raised an eyebrow but kept on staring. Leo broke the silence with, “This is only a courtesy meeting to let you know our work has been released, and we'll be sure to keep you abreast of the current sales figures.”

Leo nudged Riario's shoulder as he turned to leave. Riario jerked as though wakened suddenly and looked at Leo. “I think we're done here. You won't hear from me again until we've broken the sales record,” Leo said, walking out but glanced back to see Riario nod in his father's direction. Alessandro curtly ignored him to pick up his phone and start yelling into it.

Riario followed him out in silence. Leo drove him away without comment until Riario asked to be taken home. “Are you ever going to tell me exactly what happened between you and your father?” Leo asked quietly.

Riario gave him a pained smile, the same little one he quirked whenever Leo mentioned his father. “Perhaps. It is a long story.”

“Well, I'm listening. We've got all this time until we see how our EP sells.”

“Maybe someday, but not today.”

“Okay,” was all Leo could say, and Riario didn't speak again until Leo left him at his apartment.

He was afraid that Riario would brood, lost in his memories and shadowy past of his father, but to his utter delight, Riario showed up at his house the next night. Leo was so happy he even loaned a hand cooking dinner, and they spent the rest of the evening with Riario at the piano and Leo on his guitar, playing classic favorites and even making up some new songs.

It was the first time that Leo seriously considered what might happen after it was all over. It was the first time Riario looked at him with openness and didn't finish with a snide remark about groupies or Leo rushing away in the morning.

Leo had to admit that it was domestic; it was quiet; it was nice.

Leo tried not to call Lorenzo and Laura too often to inquire how sales were progressing. He did follow some of the social media reaction. The first reaction on Twitter was definitely WTF THOSE TWO HATE EACH OTHER followed by IS ANYONE GONNA BUY THIS SHIT.

But after a handful of Riario fans listened to it, they started to trend #RiarioLeo along with their reactions to the songs. As more of Leo's long-time fans discovered it, they commented on the differences between it and Leo's traditional songs. But they liked it. A lot.

Their interest and various trending topics brought it to the attention of the entertainment media, and soon there were sites reviewing the EP to generally positive results.

Leo let himself begin to hope. Then came the night Riario had planned to bring Leo, Zo and Nico to an impromptu joint show. Leo was shocked to find the bar packed wall to wall with people, and a line extended down the block. He braced himself for hecklers and boos, but this time, the performance was as good as he could have dreamed.

The crowd got into it and even sang along with the new songs which appeared to surprise Riario too, although to judge from his hidden smile, Leo knew he was pleased. After their six songs, Riario joined Leo for two of his favorites and then Leo capped off the night by lending his guitar to Riario's.

The fans loved it, filming it, screaming out, and Leo let his showmanship take over. Although he'd managed to avoid Riario's spell—as he called it to himself—for the last song, he cut loose and stared into his eyes. 

Riario never missed a beat. He continued playing, eyeing Leo with that challenging look that Leo could never resist. Their music soared, and Leo was ready to fly away. They made it through the song, and Leo was extremely glad that Riario was known for just walking off the stage and not giving encores because as soon as they made it behind the door, Leo pounced.

But Riario had anticipated him, and turned the lunge into a twist that left Leo pressed against the door with Riario's body pressed fully against him. “This is good too,” Leo grinned and kissed him.

Every show seemed to end in nearly the same way with Leo feeling like he couldn't keep his hands off Riario. And he started to see a difference, a Riario freer with his affections, as Leo tried to make it clear that he was enjoying this. Although the same could not be said for Zo and Nico who repeatedly walked in on them in various stages of kissing and groping.

They had done a string of small venues and were talking about livestreaming some kind of show, when Lorenzo called Nico.

“That was really bizarre,” Nico said when he ended the call. “Lorenzo said Medici has been getting calls from booking agents saying that Roman won't return their calls. And they're wondering if Leo is even getting the messages they've been leaving with Roman's PR staff.”

“What the actual fuck,” Leo said. “Tell me you got the names and numbers!”

“Of course,” Nico replied, handing them over.

Leo called the booking agents personally and talked their way onto a couple morning shows and one late-night show that filmed in LA. He knew they were being invited because of his and his band's reputation, and the crews were probably hoping for some kind of crazy antics, but Leo was determined to keep it perfectly professional. 

They'd been guests on these shows before, and Leo normally flirted his way through with lots of suggestive jokes and running gags with Zo. But this time, he let Zo crank up the charm, and he stayed close to Riario who answered the questions with serious and thoughtful answers instead of jokes and flirting.

Then they performed, and Leo thought it was even better to let the music speak for itself.

Their first single “Mona Lisa” was charting very well, even above their most optimistic guesses, Laura said. And the EP itself was selling well—so well that Laura thought she might have very good news for him within the next few weeks.

When they were invited on the national late-night show, Leo thought it would be just to perform, so he was thrilled when the production assistant said they would be on the couch for a brief segment before the performance.

The four played their usual parts when the cameras were rolling but deferred to Leo when the host asked about how he got the idea for the collaboration.

“That was quite a Twitter war you started to get your followers riled up for you, Leo. I think we have screencaps of some of the conversation.” The host put up the cards and the audience hooted in obedient laughter. Leo shook his head and acted properly abashed.

“That was not one of my finest hours,” Leo said. “But luckily, it brought me to the attention of the most creative musician I've ever had the honor to work with.”

“So you're saying this online fight was just for the free publicity?”

“No way! We hadn't even met yet. That was all a terrible mistake,” Leo looked chagrined. “I just fell in love with Riario's music and unintentionally acted out.” When the audience tittered, he turned to them and raised his arms. “You've all done crazy things for love, right?”

The laughter and hollers went louder and the host shook his head ruefully. “I think we've all been fools in love, sure, but, we know your reputation. Does that mean there's more to this collaboration than just the music?”

Riario turned a little red and Leo laughed heartily and slung an arm around him. “We'll have to see. Making music is like making love; we do it best in private but then we enjoy sharing it with you.”

The audience went wild and the host pretended to be embarrassed and called for a commercial so they could cool down before their performance. Leo felt Riario's body still as a statue until they cut to commercial. Leo whispered quickly in his ear, “I'm sorry I went too far.”

Riario didn't meet his eyes but gave a tight little smile as they got up and walked across the stage. But the performance was everything Leo could have hoped for. The audience loved it, and it wracked up millions of hits on the show's YouTube channel.

Riario took Leo home and bound his hands to the headboard and worked off some of his aggression. And Leo knew all was forgiven when Riario breathed out, “I'm sure we could make millions if we were to share this view with the fans.”

But the single and EP sales still weren't enough. 

Leo began to buy more alcohol; Riario and Zo took turns finding it and confiscating it. Zo even unwound enough to bring Nico over for movie nights and stay in the same room as Riario.

Then to Leo's shock and Riario's resigned shrug, they were nominated for an award at an upcoming show that charted listeners' favorites. Leo didn't think the single had even been available long enough, but the show's booking agent didn't care. They were even asked to perform live at the show.

“Oh my god, this is amazing,” Nico said as they walked the red carpet. 

“You've done this before,” Zo reminded him, stopping to sign the cleavage of a very well-endowed and enthusiastic fan.

“I know, but it's never been this much fun before!”

“Yeah, we're all having a blast,” Zo pointedly looked toward Riario. He was lurking behind the three and although impeccably dressed and groomed, he appeared out of place. Then Leo bumped into him intentionally and whispered something in his ear that made him do the odd not-quite-a-laugh that he showed around Leo so often.

He stepped shoulder to shoulder with Leo and went through the rest of the gamut of photographers. Nico sighed, and Zo patted his head. “Sorry, kid. I think you missed your chance there.”

“Whatever,” Nico mumbled, swatting Zo's hand away from his carefully styled hair. “Get your damn hands off me, you dirty ape!”

“Get back here!” Zo ordered, giving chase, much to the laughter of the fans who were used to seeing that kind of behavior from them.

Their teasing continued up until the time for their live performance, and afterward Zo took credit for coming up with the plan to keep Riario loose. Although Leo argued it wasn't a plan so much as business as usual, it worked, and the performance was flawless.

Their category was announced right after they left the stage, so they waited in breathless anticipation behind the curtain as an actress read the nominees. When she called their names as the winners, there was an instant of disbelief. Then Nico shouted and Zo yelled, pulling Nico toward him and kissing his cheek. Leo and Riario shared a long look then a smile as Leo loped onto the stage to take the prize and the microphone while the others joined him. He did all the speaking, thanking everyone he could think of with the obvious exception of Roman records.

When they were escorted off the stage and finally away from the cameras, Leo let out a loud whoop and caught Riario into a tight hug. Riario held him just as fiercely until, “You're vibrating.”

“It's just the excitement. I swear I haven't taken anything.”

“Not that, you fool. Your phone.”

Leo laughed and pulled away far enough to reach his pocket. Riario wandered over to where Nico and Zo were already taking selfies with the award to post online. He turned back to Leo when Leo cursed.

“Fuck me,” he repeated. “I did it. _We_ did it. That was Laura. She got the official numbers. We did it. The single hit platinum, and the EP's gone gold.”

Zo and Nico let out another raucous cheer, and Leo stepped over to Riario.

“I'm free,” he said dazedly, the fact not having a chance to sink in even after all his hope.

“I am very happy for you,” Riario said, but Leo shook himself from his daze when he heard Riario's tone. 

“I'm free because of you,” Leo said earnestly.

“Then you are free to create your own music.”

“And I'm free to create music with anyone I choose.” Leo reached out and held Riario's upper arm gently. “I owe this all to you. You agreed to my frankly ridiculous idea, and you brought out the best music I've ever created.”

“If you say that I inspired you,” Riario interrupted, “I shall be forced to take umbrage at the cliché.”

“Well, you did.” Leo stepped closer and leaned his head against Riario's so he could speak lowly. “You're the perfect creative partner, and I'm hoping that you will agree to partner with me in more than music.”

“Why, da Vinci, are you asking me to go steady?”

Leo swore that someday he would make Riario comfortable enough that his knee-jerk reaction would not be sarcasm. It might be a long journey, but the result would be worth it for Riario to know that he was valued.

“Call it whatever you want, the only collaboration I want is with you,” Leo finally said, leaning in and kissing him.

“Get a room,” Zo yelled, and Riario clutched at Leo's waist, turning the chaste kiss into a full-body grind that left Leo grinning and breathless.

“We have a room, a suite actually,” Nico was saying, ignoring how Zo was trying to hide his eyes. “We should all go party there.”

“After the after-parties,” Zo promised.

“It's a date,” Leo said, and Nico beamed when Riario nodded.

Leo turned back to the man in his arms. “So did you really think it would end up like this? When I was being a tool and harassing you on Twitter? Did you ever imagine that we would write amazing songs and sell that many copies to beat Roman?”

“I told you I always play to win,” Riario reminded him.

“Yes, well, no one—literally no one—ever wins a war on the Internet.”

“Why not? I did.” Riario smiled and Leo knew he could never beat him even if he wanted.

When their second single rocketed to number one, Leo thought it might all be okay. Several major labels were courting him, but after long talks with Zo and Nico, they agreed to try being independent as Riario and making the music they wanted without the restraints of a label.

Things were going well with Riario, as well as Leo could hope. But the question all the fans were asking and tweeting, the one thing they seemed to get asked in every interview was: are you two dating?

Leo finally answered one fan's plea when he checked his Twitter late one night curled up in Riario's bed: _no, we don't ever seem to manage pants long enough to go on a proper date._

Riario hacked his Twitter account, changed the password and never let him near social media again, for both their sakes. And so they all lived happily ever after.

The End

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the end of the actual story, but I am including the crazy epilogue because months ago when I was writing this, somehow, some of us were talking about pairings and I started thinking about the foursome of Leo, Riario, Zo and Nico and how their moments together (particularly in season 2) were some of my favorites in the show. And this madness happened. So, if you want to read a PWP, smutty fourway between those guys, it fit perfectly into this AU, and I've made it the optional epilogue so click next, if you dare.


	8. EPILOGUE wherein there is much smut between our four main characters but absolutely no llamas (much to the dismay of no one)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the optional epilogue to the Band AU and is a four-way of sorts with various pairings of Leo/Riario/Nico/Zo, so be warned. ;D
> 
> It takes place within the timeline of the story, directly after the awards show after Leo received his good news.

Leo collapsed onto the couch in the hotel suite, wineglass still in hand, and he knew that he was smiling dopily but he couldn't seem to stop. And he couldn't bring himself to care.

When Riario slumped onto the couch close to him, his usual perfect posture relaxed for once, Leo saw he was wearing the same kind of blissed out look that he normally only showed after a really terrific orgasm, but behind it was still a little shock and maybe even a soupçon of disbelief that this was all actually happening. It was the look that made Leo want to pull him over and kiss him until he accepted that he belonged here, with them, having a great time.

So he did, set his wineglass on the floor, slung his arm around Riario's shoulders and tugged at him to lean closer then kissed him. Riario huffed against his lips and tried to pull back, but Leo kissed him harder and moved to push him deeper into the couch.

“Your band,” Riario reminded him in a whisper as Leo kissed across his cheek and went for his ear, nipping the lobe and running his tongue around the whorl. 

“They don't mind,” Leo breathed right into his ear and delighted in the full-body shiver that Riario gave in response.

“Sure, don't mind us, we're all friends here,” Zo said sarcastically, falling onto the couch beside Leo hard enough to make him bounce. “And free porn is free porn although I would have chosen different actors.”

“I wouldn't,” Nico said brightly as he took the couch arm beside Riario. Riario pulled back from Leo's grasp and looked at him in astonishment.

“Nico, really!” 

Leo laughed at Riario's shocked expression and at the pink in Nico's cheeks from the alcohol as it crept across his face and down his neck and darkened into red. Leo nuzzled into Riario's neck to muffle his laughter. “You can't be surprised that Nico has the world's biggest crush on you. And who wouldn't want to watch us have sex.”

“Da Vinci,” Riario's admonishment turned into a gasp when Leo bit his neck then sucked it in, tonguing the flesh until he was sure it would mark. He tilted his head until he could see Nico from the corner of his eye, and wasn't at all surprised to find him spellbound, beer bottle halfway to his mouth, frozen by the sight and the sound of Riario. Leo hid his smile by kissing down Riario's neck, licking his Adam's apple, as he slowly ran his hand down the buttons of Riario's shirt. When he opened one, he swore he heard Nico gasp too.

Then Riario's hand came up to stop him, but Leo looked first at Nico who was hurriedly chugging the beer. When he met Riario's eyes, he couldn't read everything there, but there was obvious disapproval.

“We are all friends here,” Leo reminded him. Riario forcibly removed Leo's hand from his shirt.

“We are not all friends with benefits,” Riario returned.

“Yeah, that used to just be me and Leo's thing,” Zo said from the other side. 

Leo rolled back from Riario and grinned at Zo who shrugged. Leo had a lot of good memories of messing around with Zo. They had practically grown up together and discovered their love of music and love of sex at nearly the same time. Leo had never had any problem accepting that he found both girls and boys equally desirable, and when Zo admitted the same, they had spent a lot more time practicing sex than they had music for one long summer. Even when they started dating other people, Leo knew there would always be a special place in his heart and his bed for Zo. And if his best friend needed a helping hand every once in a while, there was nothing like spending a weekend in bed re-learning everything they had in common and the history that no one else would ever fully understand.

“Come here,” Leo said breathlessly and reached out for Zo's face. Although Zo ostensibly rolled his eyes and sighed, he leaned in and kissed Leo, lips meeting softly, Leo's tongue already searching for Zo's. He stroked Zo's face, ran his thumb through the heavy beard, so different from Riario yet so perfect in its own way. He thrust his tongue against Zo's inviting him to play, but he felt Riario shift away from his other side.

“No, don't go,” Leo mumbled against Zo's mouth, blindly grabbing out to hold onto Riario. He broke the kiss and looked at Riario. “This is nice, all of us. Here, together.”

Leo wasn't even sure what he was saying exactly. He only knew that for the first time in years—maybe forever—he'd never felt so warm inside, safe, surrounded by the people who knew and understood him and yet still loved him in one way or the other. It was a feeling he wanted to share in turn with them, especially Riario who seemed like he'd never had the support system that Leo enjoyed, who still seemed surprised when Leo was tender toward him. Of all the people in the world, Leo thought Riario needed to be loved and enjoyed.

From the look on Nico's face, he thought so too. Leo leaned back to Riario who had resumed his more usual, rigid posture. Leo didn't let go of Zo, knotting his shirt front in his hand, but he butted his head against Riario who leaned away again. Leo persisted, brushing his lips against his cheek and softly saying, “I don't want to upset you. You know how I feel about you. And I'm not the only one. We all care about you very much.”

Leo nudged him then looked up at Nico so Riario would follow his gaze. Riario turned and looked up at Nico who was gazing at him with the admiration he so often did, but without trying to hide it like he usually did. Riario quirked a smile at him, and Nico turned even more red and tipped up his beer then swore when he realized it was empty.

Leo spoke directly into Riario's ear, “Wouldn't you love to blow his mind? Kiss him.”

To Leo's delight, Riairo didn't immediately say no. Instead he continued to smile at Nico before finally looking back to Leo. “I have told you before, I don't mix business with pleasure.”

“We aren't business. We're all friends. Who are all about pleasure.”

Leo heard Zo bark a laugh and Riario seemed about to roll his eyes, especially when he saw Leo's leer.

“I don't believe in friends having sex either.”

“You're such a Puritan,” Leo said affectionately and squeezed the arm he still had around Riario. “Zo and I have done it forever; it's only brought us closer because I know he will always have my back. And I'll always have his. I've made that same promise to Nico, and now I make it to you.”

Although it was an awkward position, Leo kept his hold on Zo and his arm around Riario but leaned in front of him, tipping his head up to Nico. “Come on, give me some sugar. I've seen you staring at me when you break into my bedroom late at night, fully aware that I sleep naked.”

Nico's hasty denial made Zo laugh out loud and Riario chuckle quietly. Nico's blush crept the whole way down into his shirt when Leo make a loud kissy sound with his lips. “It's okay. You know I love you,” he told Nico in all honestly. “Let's just show Riario what he could be enjoying.”

Nico looked torn, looking from Riario to Leo and back, not quite meeting their eyes. When Zo shoved at Leo, he rocked harder into Riario who in turn leaned into Nico's leg. “Go on, don't pretend to be shy now,” Zo told Nico. “If this is your chance to make out with both your idols at once, you'd better go for it.”

“Zo!” Nico and Leo said in different tones, Leo disappointed because he was sure the abrupt wording would deter Nico. But Nico surprised him again, straightened a little, dropped his beer bottle to the floor, and leaned down across Riario to kiss Leo. Leo couldn't spare a hand but he kissed back enthusiastically until Zo hooted encouragement at them. Nico pulled away and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.

“You taste like tequila,” he grimaced.

“That was Zo's,” Leo laughed then nudged Riario, holding his shoulder and pointing him toward Nico. “Now, it's your turn.”

Riario eyed him severely then looked up at Nico. His mouth was open, lips even redder than usual, and when his tongue came out to moisten them, Leo saw Riario unconsciously mimic the motion. Nico leaned down, slowly, unsure, and Riario didn't move for a long moment. Just when it seemed like Nico would either pull back or unbalance himself, Riario pushed himself up a bit and met his lips.

From where Leo was watching intently, it looked almost chaste as Riario kissed him softly. Nico reached down a shaking hand and held the side of Riario's face, and Leo smiled when he felt some of the tension bleed from Riario's body pressed against him. Riario shifted a little, and the kiss deepened, Leo watching as Riario opened his mouth and let Nico lick into it shyly.

“That's beautiful,” Leo said quietly, leaning back into the warmth and sturdiness of Zo at his back as he moved closer to watch.

“It's certainly not the worst thing I've ever seen,” Zo said, and Leo elbowed him in the gut.

The kiss ended as gently as it had begun, and Leo was amused that Riario's cheeks looked flushed too. Nico was beaming and he didn't wipe his mouth this time.

Leo elbowed Zo more gently this time. “Why don't you—” he gestured toward Riario but didn't even finish the sentence when he saw the death glare Riario leveled at him and Zo close behind. He could feel Zo tense and swear under his breath.

“I'm good, really,” Zo muttered and Riario's eyes narrowed even further.

“You would be wise to keep your mouth to yourself, if you don't want to lose part of that contemptible tongue,” Riario growled.

Leo knew he was losing ground fast, so he wiggled his way out from between them and stood. He held out his hands toward all three of them.

“Let's get more comfortable,” he suggested. “There's a nice big bed right over there so we don't have to be all crowded on the couch.”

He knew Riario would balk, but he was a little surprised that Zo crossed his arms over his chest and refused to move. Leo sighed then was shocked when Nico said, “I'm fine right here.” Nico leaned down to Riario who jerked back at first but then let Nico kiss him. This time, the kiss turned hotter faster, and Nico moaned then slid off the couch arm, twisting until he was straddling Riario's lap.

Leo slapped a hand over his mouth so he wouldn't laugh when Riario's hands flailed behind Nico's back, either waving for help or unsure where he should touch. Nico was having no problem with that, one hand holding on to Riario's broad shoulder and the other feeling through his hair, carding it back from his face and holding his head. Leo did almost giggle when Riario finally decided it was safest to put his hands on Nico's back, cautiously high above his waist.

Zo was sitting still in grump mode, arms crossed and body language closed off, watching the two disinterestedly. Leo was sure he could win him over and from there, it was only a matter of seducing Riario, knowing Nico would follow close behind.

“Come on, Zo. If we go to the bed, they will come,” he urged, holding his hand out again.

“That was either the worst Field of Dreams reference I've ever heard or you are weirdly optimistic and that was a horrible double entendre,” Zo said flatly. “Besides, I don't want to get into bed with _that_.”

 _That_ was Nico beginning to grind on Riario while still kissing him without coming up for air. Riario's hand flailed again toward Leo, who didn't resist this time. He took Riario's hand and leaned over to kiss his knuckles, in the same gesture he'd seen Riario use before. The touch of his lips made Riario finally jerk away from the kiss and stare at Leo who grinned.

Riario was already disheveled, breathing quickly, eyes heavy. Leo loved the look on him, especially since Nico looked nearly as wrecked. Leo leaned closer, still holding Riario's hand, and kissed Riario who opened his mouth without any hesitation, kissing Leo back as passionately as he ever had.

“You look incredible,” Leo said when he broke the kiss and moved to kiss Riario's closed eyelids. Nico was breathing heavily in his ear, so Leo turned and kissed him as well, and this time, it was much less awkward. Leo figured it was probably because Nico was so turned on and didn't care anymore. He smoothed his hand over Nico's hair, felt him lean into the caress like a cat, and looked over at Riario. His pupils were blown and he licked his lips as he watched Leo and the blond on his lap kissing.

“We've got you,” Leo whispered, squeezing Riario's hand and petting Nico again. “We're not going to let you go now.”

When Riario squeezed his hand back, it was so tightly Leo felt the bones grate. But he didn't let go, and Riario's grasp slacked until Leo could twine their fingers and raise them to his lips, bussing them while staring into Riario's eyes. This time Riario gave an almost imperceptible nod, and Leo grinned and planted a kiss on Nico's temple. 

Then he looked over at Zo who was still watching them, supremely unimpressed. Since Leo didn't have a free hand, he smiled at Zo and kicked at his foot. “This will be amazing, I promise you.”

“This will be an utter fucking disaster,” Zo warned and slid his foot away as Leo kicked at him harder. “Okay, fine I'm in. But you'd better make it worth my while. I'm talking about sucking, fucking, every dirty sex act you've ever mastered. And I won't bottom.”

Leo rolled his eyes and tightened his grip on Riario's hand. “I'm sure we can work out the logistics, somehow. Let's just get naked first and see what happens.”

Of course, Leo knew it wouldn't be that easy, and it wasn't, from Zo pretending to be bored and disinterested while Riario was actually unsure and Nico held back to see what everyone else would do before committing himself. Leo took a deep breath and walked across the suite toward the bedroom, trying his best to put a little sway in his walk even though his ass wasn't designed for that move, and shedding his clothes as he went. He was shirtless and had his jeans open, ready to push them down, when he got to the doorway and looked back.

To his everlasting astonishment and joy, it was Riario who was moving toward him, Nico in tow with a huge grin on his face. Seeing them already in motion, Zo huffed and got up but trailed far to the rear. Leo turned down the bed, stripped himself down to boxer-briefs and was going to arrange himself artistically on the sheets when Riario caught up. He crowded Leo against the bed, making his knees buckle and he sat, hands going up to catch at Riario. Riario stared at him, almost the same look he had given the first night they'd met and Riario had challenged him on stage. Only this time, it was Leo naming the challenge, and he was excited that Riario was living up to his reputation and not backing down.

And when Riario cupped his cheek and kissed him close-mouthed, Leo felt like Riario meant business. His eyes were still open and Leo had never liked staring that closely at someone when they kissed, but he did it now, allowing Riario to see everything he felt, that this was not all some kind of joke or game or way to hurt Riario. Leo put both hands to his face and kissed him as honestly as he knew how.

It seemed to reassure Riario and he nodded again and reached out for Nico who stepped up to him eagerly. Riario smirked at Leo as he leaned over and kissed Nico's neck. Nico went boneless, his knees obviously weak, as Riario held his waist and bit teasingly down his neck. Leo smirked back at him and ran his hand down his own chest, ending at the waistband of his briefs.

Riario pulled at the hem of Nico's shirt, freeing it from his jeans, then stepped back to help him pull it over his head. As much as Leo was enjoying the view, he preferred exhibitionism to voyeurism, so he loaned his hands to Riario and worked at Nico's belt. When he reached the fly, Leo leaned back to look at Zo still lingering near the door. “Get your ass in here and get to work. There are too many fully dressed people in this room.”

Zo sighed, put-upon as usual, but Leo noticed he stripped off his shirt in record time and sat down on the end of the bed to pull off his boots. Riario helped Leo pushed Nico's jeans over his hips, then Leo stood up to wrap one arm around Riario and one around Nico's bare waist before kissing Nico. Riario went back to kissing Nico's neck, and Nico writhed at the onslaught of mouths and hands on him. 

Then Leo pinched his waist and nodded toward Riario who only had one button opened from before. “Let's get him naked,” he said and Nico jumped to obey. Between the two, they got Riario undressed, and Leo pushed him back on the bed gently. To his surprise, it was Nico who took the initiative again and crawled over Riario to kiss his chest. Leo watched the two, and when Riario's eyes closed in pleasure, he went to stand in front of Zo.

“Get over yourself,” he told him bluntly.

“Go fuck yourself,” Zo retorted.

“You know I'd rather fuck you,” Leo said sweetly.

“I told you, I'm not bottoming tonight.”

“Then lay down there beside them,” Leo commanded, pointing to the entwined Riario and Nico. Riario's fingers were twisted in Nico's curls, and Nico was determinedly working his way down his body, taking the time to appreciate every ridge of muscle and inch of smooth skin. Leo smiled at the picture but was distracted when Zo kicked him.

“I thought you were going to make this worth my while,” Zo reminded him.

“You know I will, I just...” Leo didn't resist reaching out to pluck one of Riario's nipples, the pinch making him arch his hips and hiss. “He likes it rough,” Leo said to Nico who seemed too concentrated to even hear him.

Leo shrugged and looked down at Zo, sprawled on the bed beside Riario but definitely not touching. He dove right down and kissed him, not wasting time with teasing, his hand going straight down Zo's chest across his stomach to his cock. At least this part of him belied his interest in the proceedings, Leo thought wryly as he slipped his hand into Zo's boxers. Zo was already getting hard and his cock twitched as if it recognized Leo's clever hand. Leo kissed him sloppily and Zo clutched at him now, pulling Leo's long hair and pulling his head into the angle he wanted.

When Leo hadn't heard any moans from Riario or Nico for a few moments, he risked a glance at them. Nico's hand was toying at Riario's briefs, but he was hesitating now, and Riario's eyes were wide open and staring at the ceiling. Leo pulled away from Zo's kiss, ignored the angry hair tug, and reached over to Nico. He cried out when Leo pulled him off-balance and into an open-mouthed kiss. He hoped it would be enough to distract him and Riario, but when he looked down, Riario was still looking spooked.

Leo kept kissing Nico then pulled off the best move he may have ever done, ready to consider himself a genius of sexual artistry if it worked. He removed one of Zo's hands from his hair and slid it under the briefs to put it directly on Riario's cock. He quickly took Riario's hand from the bed and placed it on Zo's. He knew it was a huge risk, but if this was going to work—this whatever it was between all of them—it had to work all the way around.

Nico pulled away and panted, “What did you do?”

“I'm hurrying matters along,” Leo hoped. Nico was still sitting over Riario's hips and Leo was nearly in the same pose on Zo and when he looked down, he had to try not to laugh at the angriest hand job he'd ever witnessed. Riario was gritting his teeth, but his head was turned and he was staring into Zo's eyes which were as big as Leo had ever seen them. Zo yelped a little every couple seconds, and Leo had no earthly idea what was going on under their underwear, but neither man looked ready to give up and admit defeat.

“Oh my gods, you two are the absolute worst,” Leo sighed and grasped Riario's wrist, stopping his hand to Zo's grateful whimper. “You always have to win at everything, don't you? Even when it's only pleasure and accepting it yourself. Show him, Nico.”

This time Nico had gotten over his embarrassment or whatever had held him back. He slid down Riario's body, pulled his cock out of his briefs and licked it from root to tip. Riario's head went back and he groaned. 

“That's better,” Leo praised and followed that lead, sliding Zo's boxers over his hips and nuzzling his cock. Whatever abuse Riario had subjugated him to hadn't dampened Zo's ardor, and Leo smiled as he planted a kiss on the tip of his cock. Then he opened his mouth and took him in.

Leo was known for being single-minded and consummately focused, but he could also multi-task when the occasion called for it. And this situation definitely called for a ringmaster, he supposed, so although Zo swore and grabbed his head, Leo pulled off and checked on Nico after a few moments. The boy seemed to know what he was doing, and Riario was panting, but his eyes were locked on Leo. Leo blew him a kiss and Riario shook his head.

Leo kissed Zo's cock again, licking over the head to hear him whine, and kept his hand around it.

“Let's switch,” Leo suggested. Nico made a noise that must have involved teeth because Riario hissed a loud breath. He guided Nico's mouth off him and pulled him up to kiss his mouth.

“Let's not,” Zo said, bucking his cock in Leo's loose grasp, trying to remind him of his obligations. Leo absentmindedly tightened his fist and stroked, watching Riario kiss Nico, tuck his hair behind his ears, then suddenly roll them over so Riario was on top. Leo was impressed by the move and his fist must have clenched because Zo moaned a little.

Riario glanced over at them, his eyes meeting Leo's, and he winked _he winked_ and Leo was gone all over again for him. Leo wanted him, he wanted Zo, hell, he wanted Nico, but he knew he needed them all. Riario then promptly started to drive Nico out of his mind, kissing and touching him before sucking down his cock in a move that made Leo stroke Zo even faster.

“Get your mind back on the job at hand, Leo,” Zo said breathlessly, and Leo looked down at him and leered. He stroked him harder and faster then slowed, making Zo swear at him again.

Leo leaned down and kissed him, wet and sloppy, and murmured, “Finger me. Get me ready.”

Zo's cock twitched in his hand again, and Zo nodded. “Lube?”

Leo pulled away, both of them groaning, and rummaged in the bag he'd dropped beside the bed earlier. He flipped a packet of lube and a condom to Riario, but he batted it away to the bed without stopping. Leo and Zo both took a long moment to admire the view—Nico's head thrown back, alternating groaning and babbling, one hand resting on Riario's head. Riario had Nico's hips tilted up, one hand holding him down while the other rolled his balls in a gentle movement. Riario's head bobbed over his cock, and it was obvious Nico was close as his babbling became louder.

Leo looked back at Zo who nodded, and Leo lay back beside Nico then changed his mind and lay on his side to face them. Zo crowded close to his back and ran a big hand down his arm then around his chest and stomach to his flank, over his hip. When his hand finally touched his cock, Leo moaned, the feeling almost overwhelming after such a long time of arousal and he realized that it was the first time he'd been touched. He shimmied out of his briefs with Zo's help and watched Riario and Nico as Zo took him in hand again. Leo thrust forward into his touch then arched back to feel Zo's cock against his ass. 

Finally, he shifted his top leg obligingly and let Zo's fingers wander further back, to the place he wanted them. Zo had just slipped one finger into him to Leo's delight when Nico yelled Riario's name. It must have been a warning, but Riario ignored it, and Leo watched Nico as he came, entire body shaking. Riario's eyes were shut as he swallowed and the scene made Leo impossibly harder.

From Zo's quiet “Fuck” behind him, Leo knew Zo had seen it too, and from the hardness of Zo's cock pressed tight against him, he had also enjoyed it. 

Leo could hear Nico's labored breathing and he watched Nico's face go from ecstasy to almost anxiety when he realized he'd just come with Riario. It seemed to have sobered him, but Riario was crawling up Nico's body now, his eyes dark and intense, his arm muscles rippling, and Nico swallowed hard. Leo heard his breath go out in a relieved whoosh when Riario kissed him. Leo reached out and touched Riario's hair then stroked Nico's cheek. When Riario pulled up, Nico smiled timidly then hugely at him then over at Leo.

Leo laughed, the sound punched out of him louder when Zo added another finger. Riario looked at him and understood in an instant. He moved his mouth toward Leo but made Leo meet him halfway, as if he were still unsure if he was wanted. Leo stroked down his sweaty shoulder, as far down his back as he could reach, to try and make Riario understand. Nico was trying to move from underneath Riario who let him go free and sit up.

Nico motioned for Riario to lie down, but he cradled Nico's head for a moment first, kissed him on the forehead, and Leo didn't think Nico should still be capable of blushing, but he proved him wrong. Then Nico pushed at Riario and he lay beside Leo who promptly kissed him.

It was a short kiss because Leo had to curse loudly when Zo added another finger and twisted them, unerringly finding his prostate in a move that made Leo scream.

“Just reminding you I'm still here,” Zo said cheerily. Nico laughed out loud and even Riario rolled his eyes in a manner that could be considered fond. He stroked down Leo's chest and found his neglected cock, gave it a long pull and started stroking. It made Leo curse again. Riario slipped his fingers over Leo's balls, caressing them gently, then touched where Zo's fingers were inside him. There was a moment of hesitation, a shared look between Riario and Zo over Leo's shoulder, then Riario pushed a long, slender finger inside him.

The sense of fullness was almost overwhelming, but Leo craved more. He felt Riario finger him in the same rhythm as Zo and he wanted to joke that look, they were actually doing something in-sync without bitching for once, but then he realized they were doing _him_ and it made him want to come immediately. Leo moaned again and writhed between them then felt Riario lose rhythm abruptly. He struggled to open his eyes and saw Nico's hand with those strong, talented drummer's fingers wrapped around Riario's cock. Zo distracted him momentarily by biting the thick muscle where his neck joined his shoulder, the burst of pain only making Leo harder.

“Come on, do me,” he said to the world at large and bucked impatiently. Nico laughed again and must have changed his stroke because Riario let out a long sigh and let his head drop back toward Nico. It was rare Leo saw him make himself so vulnerable and he yearned to reach out and bite at him, mark his neck and his chest, suck where Nico was only stroking so delicately.

But then he heard the crinkle of a wrapper and heard Zo ask, “Leo, do you want me?”

“Always,” he said muzzily and rolled further onto his back so he could see Zo. He pulled him down for a kiss and would have lent a hand with the condom but Zo already had it on.

“And you're okay with this?” Zo asked and Leo was ready to shout in frustration until he saw that Zo was looking at Riario. His eyes were glazed and he had one hand over Nico's working his cock, but he managed to look to Zo.

“It's his choice. It's always his choice,” he rasped.

That seemed to satisfy Zo who arranged Leo's legs over his shoulders and pushed closer. He gave Leo one last chance, but Leo grabbed for his dick and pointed it in the right direction.

“You are so fucking pushy,” Zo complained affectionately as he lined up and slid into Leo. Leo threw his head back and yelled his appreciation and again when Zo began to thrust. Zo moved with the same easy assurance as he played his bass, and Leo reveled in every quick thrust and slow withdrawal. Leo met his rhythm as he always did in their music, and gave himself up to the beat. 

He almost forgot Riario for an instant until he heard a familiar voice moan his name. He fought to open his eyes and looked over where Riario had his own eyes locked on him. When he saw Leo was watching, Riario let go and came in Nico's eager hand, some of the come splashing on Leo's hip which made him only moan wordlessly. 

Then he felt Riario's hand sneak over his hip to his cock. Instead of Zo batting him away like he would have imagined, Zo hitched Leo's hips up, opening him even further and letting Riario take him in hand. Leo would have been embarrassed or made a joke about how quickly he came after that, but he honestly didn't care. The feelings were too overwhelming, the pleasure too complete all over his body and soul, and that was all he could think about.

He was just coming back to himself when he felt Zo stiffen and knew he was coming as well. Leo clenched as best he could and Zo grit out a curse that ended when he collapsed on top of Leo, their limbs mixed up with Riario's arm. Leo felt as coordinated as a bear just out of hibernation but he managed to pat Zo's head with one hand as he lay on Leo's chest and reach out blindly toward Riario and Nico. He knew the calloused hand that grasped his own was Riario's and it must have been Nico who reached over to brush his hair away from his sweaty face.

Leo could not believe the good fortune that had changed in his life, that he had not one but two best friends he could trust and one something else who could fit into the equation. He felt more pleasure and peace than he ever had and he wanted to stay in that moment forever, warm and content and surrounded by love.

Until Zo let out a loud snore from his chest. “You are not asleep already, you oaf, get off me! And out of me,” Leo yelled in Zo's ear, and he startled awake and they all disengaged with much less grace than they had shown before. Leo rubbed his cramping thigh, and Riario shook out his hands, flexing his fingers. Nico sat back shyly until Zo scrubbed at his own face with his hands and yawned.

“I never got to kiss the kid,” Zo said suddenly, pointing at Nico who bristled. It didn't matter that he was 22; he would forever be “the kid” to them. “Figures he was being selfishly hoarded away from me.”

Riario smiled, the oh-shit-is-he-armed, keep-the-knives-away smile, and just like that, Leo knew they were back to normal. And it was going to be all right. Except for his aching muscles and the need to shower. “Nico, kiss the ass already before he falls back asleep. I'm going to shower.”

Zo made kissy lips at Nico who frowned in disgust, but with a little prod from Leo and a nod from Riario, Nico crawled over them and kissed Zo. Leo and Riario watched with interest.

“That wasn't bad, kid,” Zo said in surprise and Nico shoved at his shoulder. “I'm just saying that you must have been sneaking out to get some practice. Were you hoping to impress your idol?”

Nico shoved at him harder and Zo rolled over laughing and the two were soon struggling in their never-ending wrestle to see if Zo could pin him down and mess up Nico's hair. Leo smiled down at them and then at Riario who was almost smiling as well. He leaned his head on Riario's shoulder for a second. “I think they'll be okay. If you're okay, care to join me in the shower?”

“I am okay,” Riario repeated automatically then blinked. “I _am_ okay,” he said again, slowly, and Leo smiled as he watched it dawn on Riario that he _was_ all right. It wasn't exactly a sunbeam from heaven, angelic choir in the background kind of moment, but it was a start.

Leo smacked a kiss to his cheek and reached into the fray and patted Zo and Nico wherever his hand landed. “Just saying that the shower is only big enough for two, but the bed is available all night. Once you realize that you're wrestling naked.”

Nico yelped and Riario actually did laugh out loud. Leo got off the bed and held out a hand to Riario. He took it and stood, stepping up to Leo who opened his mouth in expectation. But Riario didn't kiss him, just stood there, foreheads brushing, sharing the same air for a long moment. Then he walked past and headed for the bathroom, and Leo turned to follow but not before noticing that Nico was the one who had Zo pinned for once and was apparently trying to suffocate him with his mouth in retaliation for all the years of teasing. 

It promised to be a night that Leo would never forget. And maybe he'd even write a song about it someday. One he could never, ever share with the public.

Unless Riario wasn't looking. Then maybe he'd post it online and blow the collective mind of the world. It was surely a hit in the making, and Leo knew any collaboration he did with Riario was sure to be a success, whether in the recording studio or in bed. Or better yet—both. 

The end (for real this time)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to every single one of you who is reading this and enjoying it! I've posted the remaining chapters in one lump today. My real life has taken quite a few hits lately, and I don't know when or if I'll be able to come back online or to fandom. But please know that every single comment that each of you has ever given me has been appreciated more than you'll ever know. By reaching out, you have helped a stranger on the Internet find some happiness and a smile during some very truly dark times. So, thank you to each of you for reading and leaving kudos and commenting. You guys mean the world to me, and if my stupid little stories have brought you even a fraction of the happiness, love and smiles that your comments have given to me, then I'm blessed and thrilled. All of you take care, and I love you! Thank you for everything!


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